Second Chances: Their Journey
by Idroppedasock
Summary: When a new face appears in Jackson Ellie is given the chance for closure - to earn her second chance at life and remove her guilt at surviving. Secrets are revealed, bonds are formed and tested, and Ellie is forced to confront herself, and what it really means to be alive in this cruel world. [Now with fluff-filled short stories!]
1. Chapter 1 - Jokes

Ch 1 - Jokes

**A/N: **Well here it is, the sequel to my one-shot, a much longer story. I suppose it's not necessary to read what basically amounted to a prequel, but it would help to show how I feel the characters have progressed up to this point.

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August, 2034

"Hey, wanna hear a joke?" Ellie appeared at Joel's side and leaned against the table he had his feet propped up on, looking down at him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. It had been a long time since he heard her say that.

Green eyes peered out at him, a faint gleam of innocence mixed with the dark shade of someone who has lived through far too much. Her auburn hair rested at its habitual length, and she wore the checkered jacket she had donned after the hospital. Good clothes were rare. Good clothes that fit were rarer. Summer be damned, the jacket worked. One sleeve was rolled up, the other left to hang down the length of her arm. No one ever asked why.

"I thought you ran out of jokes from that old book?" He replied, mentally bracing himself for the inevitable bad jokes and puns she had surely collected.

"I did. Found new ones. Okay…why did the sex shop get closed down?" She stood up and pressed her hands together, a twitch forming at the edge of her lips while he rolled his eyes.

"How…do you even know what those places are?"

She ignored him, waited a few seconds before spreading her arms and giggling "It was condemned."

He sighed heavily and she giggled louder.

"Okay, okay here's another. What's the internet's favorite animal?" Another dramatic pause, "The lynx…"

She looked at him with an expectant gaze. "What's the internet?"

He just shook her head. That didn't deter her in the slightest.

"Alright, three for three. Did you hear about the fire at the circus?" She cocked an eyebrow at him and waited for an answer.

"No, I did not."

"It was in tents."

He crossed his arms and nodded slightly, allowing just the slightest grin to form. The warehouse they were in was in the middle of town, and it held a good portion of the town's stockpiles. Tommy had put him in charge of it, under the assumption that "if you can steal it and sell it you can probably guard it and trade it." He had naturally chosen Ellie as his assistant. She noticed the twitch of his lips, and high-fived herself.

He pulled his legs off the table and leaned towards her, resting his chin on his fingertips.

"Alright little lady, how about I tell you a joke?"

She raised her eyebrows and grinned wider, faking a double take.

"Say what now? You…a joke? Yeah, right."

"No no, hear me out now." He cleared his throat and seemed to think for a moment.

"So some bacon, eggs and toast walk into a bar. The bartender turns to them and says 'sorry, we don't serve breakfast.'"

Ellie's face lit up, and she gave a loud bark of laughter, and sat down on the table, shifting up so her legs dangled off the end.

"Oh man, you actually told a joke. And it didn't completely suck."

He leaned back and raised an eyebrow.

"Now hold on. Didn't completely suck? You're telling me it was a bad joke?"

She bit her lip and forced a look of sorrow, before raising a hand and putting the tips of her thumb and pointer finger a bit apart while mouthing "little bit." He slapped her shoe and she giggled again, letting her leg sway back and forth. She glanced out the window and saw a few people carting a freshly killed deer into one of the entrances of the warehouse. She got up to direct them where to put it, but paused and turned back to Joel, nodding in the direction of the forest.

"Won't it be our turn to go out hunting soon?"

He looked at her, and thought for a moment.

"In a month or two, why?"

"No reason, just as long as we don't have to go out during winter." She paused to crack her knuckles. "I don't like being out in the winter anymore."

"You know you don't have to go out at all Ellie. We can find you something else to do while I'm out."

She shook her head, and her eyes flashed for momentarily with defiance.

"If you go, I go."

He rocked a bit and nodded, drumming a few fingers against the table in a lazy rhythm.

"Alright baby girl, have it your way. I'm surprised you wouldn't jump at the chance to relax with friends though."

She waved a hand dismissively in his direction as she began to walk away.

"Friends are good, really. But sometimes they just don't shut up. And you…you hardly talk at all ninety-nine percent of the time. It's a welcome break."

He gave one chuckle, and looked at her before moving his head towards the men who were now waiting in the warehouse.

"Go show them where to put it before it bleeds everywhere. "

She smirked again, opening the door and walking out, pausing just long enough to look over her shoulder to say.

"_Yes ma_." It was a horrible parody of a southern accent. He rolled his eyes, she giggled more and shut the door behind her.

He was left to his thoughts. Things had slowly been getting better. For a while there Ellie had seemed to escape inside herself. The sarcastic kid he knew was starting to shine through again though. He would awkwardly offer to listen to her if she needed to talk about anything if he caught her just staring into space, but each time she would wave it off, declare that she was "just thinking" and leave it at that. But he didn't hear any more resentment in her voice. She still had work to do on herself. But it was something, he thought. And where would she be if he had just walked away? He shook his head as bad taste crept along the back of his mouth as he remembered the hospital, and quickly focused his attention on the inventory sheets he had in front of him.

Ellie guided the men into a back room, then down a dirt slope and past a plastic curtain into a hastily dug basement. Below ground it was cooler, and maybe, just maybe that would help the meat last just a day longer if the power went out and stayed out again. Cooling units had been placed along the ceiling and floor, keeping the room colder than outside. They dragged the deer over to a carving table, and she showed them where to put their cuts after they finished stripping it. She shivered, and with a nod to the leader of the group turned around and walked out. They weren't dangerously close to starving. That was a welcome change.

She walked back out, and stepped into the sunlight to warm up. She looked over to the office, and saw Joel shuffling papers, clearly restless. In a way they both were. This wasn't a life she thought she'd ever have. For a while she didn't want a life at all. Maybe she was being selfish, maybe she should have died, but everything he said made sense, in some strange kind of way. Could be it was just what she was trying to convince herself of, she wasn't sure yet. But it helped to try to wear a smile these days. She kicked at the dust.

"Cant smile if you're dead." She said to herself. Besides, if it wasn't before, a cure wouldn't be possible now. Some travelers passing through had brought the news. The fireflies, those still alive, had split apart, some becoming nothing more that roving bandit groups using their old flag to lull people into a false sense of security. She had made up her mind a few weeks ago that if she was going to die for anybody, it wouldn't be for them.

She remembered another talk Joel had with her a while after the first. Those talks were one of the few times he seemed to talk and talk, and would just go on about it until all she could think about was how he must be right. She wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her, himself, or both.

"People that need a sacrifice like that aren't worth saving Ellie. There was never any definite chance of a cure, it was all what if's. It was your blood for their hope. You were nothing but fuel for the fire, and maybe they didn't even know it. Maybe I'm selfish for saving you from those animals. But you know what, that was a definite. That actually happened. You can guess and think all you want but that fact is we saved each other. I'll take two guaranteed victories over one what if, no matter the difference in size. Look around you. The fireflies killed anyone in their way, and claimed to be building a better society for it. It's nothing but a lie built on top of a mass grave. Tommy's people, us I guess…well look at us. We're living. And we're not murdering each other every day to do it. That's a bigger damn victory then those fireflies could ever claim. We've both killed people, lots of people. We'll probably kill some more, but only because we have to. Not on a whim, not on some fairytale that demands the last innocent people die for the rest of us."

What had she lost? What had she gained? She kicked at the ground again, chewing her cheek as she thought. She had lost one chance at redemption.

"Shit." She breathed. She was going to think herself into a headache. Was it so wrong to try to want to live now? Riley, Tess, all the others…would they have wanted her dead too? She couldn't help but think of a quote she had heard in some old war movie she had watched at Tommy's house. 'The dead know only one thing' she thought.

"It is better to be alive." The words still felt a little guilty rolling off her tongue. But it was getting better. You do what you have to to survive, every day. Even if that means forgiving yourself and encouraging life instead of ending it. It was strange for her to see things she had been optimistic about slowly go dark, and things that she had been pessimistic about slowly seem so much brighter. She had forced herself to change. A little hope and trust went a long way in this new town.

She had a new nightmare now too, after thinking about everything for so long. She went through with it, Joel never saved her. They sawed open her head, and pulled her brain out. She was awake the entire time, never felt a thing, but could see the ghostly doctors flickering around her vision. Her brain was ripped out, and she could see all her dead friends again. She saw her mother. She would smile big, and move to embrace her, but her mom would just stare at her with a mix of revulsion and pity.

"I never wanted to see you here Ellie. You're just one more body now. Just like us."

She would step back, cry out that she saved everyone, did what she had to. Her mother would just point behind Ellie, and she would turn to see new quarantine zones manned by firefly thugs, with malnourished people clambering in line for a shot at the cure. There would be gunfire, yelps, and a heavy smell of defeat. It stunk like what she imagined a concentration camp from that history book she had read would smell like. Behind her she would just hear her mother shriek, screaming that life was worth living.

Oddly enough she never felt fear or sadness in this one. Just a feeling of disconnect, like she was watching these things off the blurry water of a stagnant pond. The view would snap back to the doctors, she would hear them curse and swear how they were so close. They just needed one more girl. She heard that again and again, each time seeing more phantoms lie down on the operating table. The bodies would all just melt into each other, a new face piled on top of a new face, mouths and noses and eyes all bleeding and running into each other. A disgusting mass of humanity would seem to stare up at her. She always woke up after that. Never with a yelp, never with fear. Just with an aching hollowness. Funny, she thought, how that was always the dream that would drive her into Joel's room, to quietly sit at the foot of his bed and match her breathing to his before heading back to her room and passing out.

It wasn't all bad though. She actually had her first pleasant dream for once. The simplicity of it just calmed her down. She just lived. It was in a sleepy little town. Whether it was before or after the infection she could never tell. But she just lived, one day a second. It was strange to feel bored. It seemed to take the place of fear in all her other dreams. Through it all she would always hear Joel saying her name, tenderly, to the rhythm of a grandfather clock striking the hour, like one she had seen in Boston so long ago. She never had a switch blade in that dream, no frayed backpack or tattered clothes. That dream ended the same way each time. The days would pass and pass and she would grow tired, so very tired. Her eyes would start to close and she would fall asleep and gently slip away, waking up in her bed with a quiet sigh, back into reality.

"Ellie." The voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Joel was next to her.

"Someone's coming down the road. Get up to the roof and watch them. If they gives the guards any problem…you know what to do."

She nodded, and started to jog into the warehouse, towards the ladder leading to a small crow's nest they had built. He stopped her.

"You ok to do this? We can find someone else…"

She waved him away, walking backwards as she spoke.

"I can do it. It's surviving. Not murder. Just surviving. I won't let you down."

His eyes met hers, and he let his guard down briefly. She could see the love in his eyes, mixed with a pain and guilt that even now she might still have to kill.

"You never have kid."

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**A/N:** There you have it; hopefully the first of many chapters. I hope you enjoy, and reviews and favs/follows are greatly appreciated

Disclaimer: any books or movies, and their content, referenced in my story are obviously not my own. The only thing I have is the plot and any new characters I may introduce.


	2. Chapter 2 - Introductions

Chapter 2

Introductions

Ellie scrambled up the ladder, lying down on the thin mat laid in front of an open window in the building's rafters. She maneuvered a rifle in front of her, pulling the bolt back to check for a round before snapping it back with a sharp clack. She brought it up to her shoulder, breathing like he had taught her, studying the approaching figure through the magnified scope. She settled into place, arching her back a bit and resting on her elbows, her body missing the familiar press of her switch blade that she used to keep hidden in the small of her back. It was gone, left it in an abandoned shack by the wood line when they made their way down to town after the hospital. She didn't want it anymore.

The person moved easily down the edge of the trail, staying out of the middle but keeping itself fully exposed. It stopped at the edge of the hill, rooting through one of the many leather packs sewn onto a homemade harness crossing its chest. It pulled something out, and put it to its eyes. Binoculars, she thought. The figure slowly panned across the town, studying the guard posts, the open gate with a few armed figures hovering around it. Its gaze traveled up, and Ellie took a breath as the figured seemed to pause, before moving a hand to wave slightly. Whoever it was could see her.

The person dropped the binoculars, and she could see more of their face. It was definitely a man. Though from the freshness of the face, probably more like someone who was getting close to the age of one. He was just a kid, maybe a year or two older than her. He dropped his backpack at his feet, pulling his rifle from its place lashed to the pack's side. She narrowed her eyes as he brought the rifle up, reaching a hand into a pocket. She gently put pressure on the trigger, ready to fire. His hand flashed up…clutching a ragged white cloth. The figure quickly tied the cloth to the rifle's barrel before shouldering his bag again, holding the rifle pointed up with the ad hoc flag flipping in the hot summer breeze.

She sighed, and relaxed her finger on the trigger just a bit. He started down the trail again, moving with an economical, practiced gait. The guards below raised their guns as he approached, and he raised his other hand in the air as he got closer. She saw them bark an order at him, and he stopped, slowly unloaded his rifle, doing the same for the pistol in another homemade holster at his side. They talked for a bit, before the guards lowered their weapons and beckoned him in. She saw Tommy approach the new face, and they exchanged words, then a handshake. The boy pointed back the way he came, gesturing a few times, and she saw Tommy's face darken. Tommy turned to leave, beckoning Joel over. He pointed to the teen, then the warehouse, before turning and walking towards his house with a cloudy look on his face. The two started towards the large building.

They walked in, quietly talking.

"What do you need?"

"What do you have?"

"Depends on what you have to trade."

Ellie shook her head. Sounded like another quiet type like Joel. They would probably one word themselves to death if they could. She climbed down the ladder to meet them.

"Leave your weapons on the table. All of them. I'll be a few"

Joel walked into the office as the new face moved towards the table, dropping his rifle and pistol on the table, as well as a short survival knife from his boot, and a longer, wicked trench knife from a sheath on his belt. She studied him closely. He looked the part of a wandered. Dark brown jacket, with a black sweatshirt underneath, two leather belts with patches roughly sewn onto them wrapped around his frame as an ad hoc harness. Ragged olive-green pants with more haphazard pouches connected to his belt. A kneepad sewn into the right pants leg, and fabric strips attached to one boot and wrapped tightly up his ankle, replacing the missing lace. His hair was cut close, a shade of burnt blonde.

"He didn't ask your name, did he?" She asked, walking behind him.

He stopped and turned around, blinking at her. A pair of light blue eyes looked at her, shining bright despite being set in sockets that looked sunken and fatigued from travel. He had the very beginnings of a beard, his face lined with rough stubble of someone forced to grow up far too quickly. He was missing his right earlobe.

"No, can't say he did. Is that a bad thing around here?"

She chuckled, slightly cocking her head.

"It's just a thing. He's like that, oh I don't know, nine times out of ten. I'm Ellie." He nodded at the name, his eyes darting off to a corner of the room. She looked at him quizzically, and his eyes flashed back to her, an apologetic smile spreading across his mouth.

"Shit, sorry. Marcus. I'm Marcus. Ellie – that's a nice name." He brushed his hand against his pants leg, looking down at it quickly before extending it to her. She took it, and he gave her hand a hard squeeze, before realizing it and lightning up. What a strange boy, she thought. He pointed to the rafters.

"That was you I take it, up there?"

She nodded, and he clicked his tongue against the bottom of his mouth.

"Thanks for not killing me. It's appreciated." He shifted his weight, gently pulling at the pouches and gear webbing his body. He was dressed for what looked like winter, yet here he was in the dead of summer. How strange, she kept thinking. She slowly nodded. His eyes glinted again, like someone right before they tell a punch line to a long story, or the telling of a secret to a close confidant. He was charming, in a different way. She spoke.

"What brings you here? Most people who show up start shooting. We don't get many travelers just passing through."

He rocked his head, leaning back against the table.

"Just looking to trade some things, maybe spend a few nights in a place that doesn't get me shot at. I could go for a vacation of sorts." He cleared his throat before continuing. "You two related?" As an afterthought he gestured towards the office.

She blinked. Was it odd that she had never been asked that question before?

"You could say that." She said slowly.

"By birth or choice?" He was a curious one, she thought.

"Choice…" her voice slowly trailed off.

"Adoptive dad?"

"I – well…yeah. He is." She felt a strange nervousness, a shyness in her at actually saying those words out loud. The boys eyes softened, and a crack of past pain flashed in them before he looked away and back at her, his eyes neutral again as he gave a slight nod and an honest smile.

"That's good. Great, actually. He doesn't know he is, does he?"

She blinked, "doesn't know what?"

"You've never actually used that word – the _d_ word. Have you?" He leaned slightly in, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial level and nodding at her. She shifted slightly at his gaze, which had briefly flashed with an inquisitive intensity. She didn't reply, and he nodded knowingly.

"I get it. Not ready yet. Don't worry Ellie, your secret's safe with me. Cross my heart and hope to die." He gave a slight chuckle, and pulled a strip of Jerky out of a pouch, ripping it in half and offering the other part to her. She hesitated to take it, and Marcus gave another chuckle before clamping his piece between his teeth and taking her hand to put the jerky in. She was shocked at his forwardness.

"It's good, really. Not like its human or anything." He gave a laugh, and Ellie winced, causing him to stop and stand up. His eyes widened for a second, as if guessing everything in that instant and he clicked his tongue again, taking a breath.

"I'm sorry. The world's fucked, isn't it?" He said over his shoulder, turning his back to her and rooting through his backpack, turning back around with a canteen.

"Here. This, try this." He unscrewed the top and offered it to her. He gestured it again. "Please."

She took it, and cautiously took a sip. A sweet, if not cold liquid flooded her mouth as she finished her sip. Her tongue unconsciously slid around her mouth to get the last drops of flavor. She made to hand it back to him but he waved it off.

"I can make more. Finish it." She took another long sip, before gently smacking her lips together.

"People are fucked." She said, looking out the open door to the bright dirt street outside. Marcus gave a deep shrug.

"People forgot how to be people. They learned how to die and make martyrs, but forgot how to live. Everyone is so damn obsessed with death. What happened to life? I…In a book. I remember a quote in a book. 'Live forever or die in the attempt.' That's what they said. It makes sense. It seems like it would be better to stay alive and help people then just jump on the first clicker you meet in a blaze of glory. 'Sides, how's this world going to get any better if all the good people keep getting themselves killed? People are just crazy"

Ellie's cheeks flushed a bit, and she didn't reply. Joel returned from the office with a notebook of inventory. He had put his past life to good use, making a catalogue of the entire town's shared inventory. If they had it, he knew about it. If he knew about it, he could trade it.

"So what do you need?"

Marcus turned to Joel.

"Something to patch my clothes with. Batteries. Maybe some ammo for this thing." He patted his rifle on the table. It was military issue from the looks of it. Long, with a heavy stock and a scope. How it fell into his hands was beyond Ellie.

"I'll see what I can do. All depends on what you have in return."

"Of course." He moved to his bag, opening it and pulling the contents out.

"Pills, flint, tinder, a revolver I don't need, bullets for that, spare flashlight…uh, this thing," he held up a small object, black and shining in the light, with a rectangular screen and a single button at the bottom, "I don't actually know what it does for sure, but it looks fancy. All this stuff that came with it. Anything here strike your fancy?" He kept removing items. A few books and comics were pulled out, a worn cotton shirt, some tapes in cracked cases. Ellie's interest was perked, and she hovered nearby, studying the worn spines intently.

Joel nodded, and picked up the orange cylinder of medicine. He opened it, sniffed it, and then screwed the top back on.

"What do these do?"

"When you're sick? Oh, they make you not sick. If you're healthy? Well, they make you wake up in a riverbed five miles from where you last remember being."

Joel gave a slight chuckle, and held the container up to the light to count the pills. They always needed more medicine.

"I can part with a few batteries and some bullets in exchange for these. Deal?"

Marcus nodded.

"Deal." He began to pack up, before pausing and turning around.

"Oh, and know any place I could stay for a few nights?"

Joel had walked around to the other side of the table with Ellie, and was leaning forwards with both hands resting on it. As he asked the question Ellie shot a glance to Joel.

"Well, I can ask around, see if anyone–" there was a thud, and Joel blinked and sniffed. Under the table Ellie's heel was sharply dug into the top of Joel's foot. Her face remained calm and neutral with a slight smile across her lips.

"- anyone can take you in-" another thud.

"- For a few –"She ground her heel in. The boy looked back and forth between the two, a puzzled, curious look on his face. Joel exhaled through his teeth before speaking again.

"You can stay with us."

Ellie nodded slightly and grinned.

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**A/N**:

There we go, chapter 2 for your reading pleasure. I worked hard not to Mary sue this up, and the end result of the oc I created actually suprised me.

Just to be clear, I can't promise a timetable for updates. I have quite a bit of the story already drafted up, but I'm constantly going back and tweaking things to make it flow better. Honestly I don't consider it anything past a draft till I hit the upload button. I even edit the darn things in the doc manager. But rest assured updates will be posted, and even though I make no promises I can't see them being any further apart than a few days to a week, baring any unfortunate circumstances. As always reviews are much appreciated, as are follows and favs! I'm sure you're all aware how awesome it is to see people enjoying what you wrote.


	3. Chapter 3 - Memories

Chapter 3

Memories

"So why'd you do that?" Marcus asked. Ellie had led him to their house after Joel graciously opened it up to the new boy. They were sitting on the back porch as the sky turned a deep purple above them, the boy having shed his coat and gear, all of which had been piled up by the ragged couch in the living room. The only thing he kept on him was the survival knife, which he was passing back and forth with Ellie as they played a game of tic-tac-toe in the dirt. She shrugged.

"Outside this town it kills to trust strange faces. That's not the way I want to live anymore. I'll be cautious, for sure, and you'd be lying to yourself if you thought I wouldn't try to kick your ass if you did anything. But being social never hurt anyone. At least not here, not yet. Besides, some kid about my age shows up out of the blue with no explanation. You've got a story, I can smell it. I love stories."

"Huh…yeah well I can smell one on you too."

"Oh yeah? Well what's it smell like?"

He paused, wiping the game away with his boot before looking at her.

"Tragedy. With a hint of a happy ending, if I smell right. And poor hygiene." He waved his hand in front of his nose.

She rolled her eyes, nodding as she looked up at the sky.

"You could say that. But I asked first, so out with it."

Marcus shifted so he was facing her. He put one leg up, stretching the other out across the dirt. He absent-mindedly puffed out his cheeks, letting the air escape with a pop. He seemed to be deciding what, or how much to say. He gave a slight shake of his head, and began.

"Alright…well, you know where North Carolina is?" She nodded, roughly picturing a map in her head. "That's where I was born. Pretty much crazy town USA. I lived on an old army base. Everybody there decided to stop listening to the government once it all fell apart, and they formed their own little world down there trying to make a modern-day Sparta. It was a bunch of jacked up army dudes so jaded from shooting infected civilians that they started to hate everything instead of protecting it."

He shifted slightly, his voice taking a breathless quality as he got lost in thought.

"Food was never a problem thanks to all the stockpiles the base had. Neither were guns. They had nothing better to do than try to make this little empire in the middle of nowhere. Join or die sort of thing. Survival of the fittest, Darwin knows best. All the women had to pop out kid after kid since we could feed everyone. I was the third kid since the outbreak. Third of twelve by the time I left…but I'm getting ahead of myself. I can hardly remember the faces of my brothers and sisters. I've forgotten a lot of details, and they didn't care enough to try to remind me of them. They just wanted to mould me into a good little killer. Every day was just practice, practice, and practice. If you got it wrong you got –"

He screwed his eyes shut for a moment.

"- Punished. You got punished. At around eleven they plucked me out of my home and tossed me in a group of other kids around my age, gave us rifles, and had us terrorize everyone around us who wasn't one of us."

He started pressing the tip of his finger against the point of his knife, stopping each time when he would wince. Ellie had turned towards him, and sat cross-legged, giving him her full attention.

"So…so I did. What else is a kid supposed to do when that's all they know, right? "

His face darkened in the setting light, and he pressed the tip harder.

"I did bad things Ellie. Bad things… I, you know, I shot people. Old people. Young people. It was such a power trip. They deserved it because they couldn't hurt me back. So fuck em'. That's what I thought. Then one day, one day it was this little camp of people. I think they had come up from Florida. And we just jump them in the middle of the night. I guess I was about fourteen or fifteen. I'm just walking through this tiny war zone, and I hear a scream from this tent, and laughing of a few of my friends. I go through, and they've got this girl…this girl pinned to the ground with a knife through her shoulder. And she's screaming, but not because they're..._hurting _her. But because…never mind. They look at me and beckon me over to join them. She's staring at me. There's this glint in her eyes. She's screaming, but there's just this look of forgiveness in her eyes. I'd never seen it before – that look. Everyone I killed either went out in a panic like a coward, or swearing and spitting at me. Never any forgiveness."

His voice began to break a little, and he shuddered as a breeze swept through the yard. Ellie bit her lip, her eyes darting from the tip of his knife to his shadowed face.

"Something in me snaps. Maybe I picked a bad time to find my conscience again. I walk over and pull the knife out of her, and just…fucking drive it into one of my friend's throat. You ever hear a man try to breathe with a torn open windpipe? It's all…just this desperate gurgling and wheezing, their chest is heaving and they roll around as they choke on their blood. They just choke longer than you think they could. And as he dying I'm just driving that knife into my other friend's eye over and over. I stand up and she's just laying there, bleeding from the stab and…and from…just staring at me still. Looking up at me with so much sadness, all for my sake. I look back at her and I –"

He started to bleed from his finger, and Ellie moved over to gently pull the blade out of his hand. It shook once it was empty.

"I shot her. Right in the head, and her eyes just went dark. _Bang_, just like that. I killed the one person I could have saved. I killed her because I couldn't stand that look in her eyes. More people walk in, they think she killed them. I got a fucking pat on the back."

Ellie gently took his hand in hers, not even thinking as she began to trace small patterns against his palm with her other hand. His shuddering stopped, and he let out a deep breath.

"It was never the same after that. I couldn't do it anymore. Couldn't just kill. Try and kill me first? Yeah, sure I'll kill you back. But I can't just hurt anyone anymore. That kind of attitude didn't really fly with them. I took it, for a while. Then…well then something happened, and I just had to get out. I've been keeping track since then. It's been two years since I've run off. I don't really know where I'm going, and I don't know what I'll do when I get there. I'm just trying to help whoever I can. Maybe earn some forgiveness."

He whispered the last sentence, and lapsed into silence. She kept tracing against his skin, bumping over the calluses, until he gently squeezed her hand. She squeezed back, and saw him take a breath, shutting his eyes as his mental walls slid back in place. He opened them, and she saw the pain had vanished. Only a flickering loneliness and quiet resignation shone through in the dying light. He looked down at his hand in hers.

"I don't know what I deserve, but I doubt it's your kindness."

She didn't respond, and just squeezed his hand harder. His shoulders fell, and he looked so much weaker in the darkness. She searched her brain for something to say. All she could think to do was whistle a simple, soothing song Joel had taught her. Marcus rested his head against his drawn up knee, letting her squeeze his hand in her attempt to comfort him. She finished the song, and he lifted his head, gently pulling his hand from between hers. He gave her a pained, sincere smile.

"Thank you Ellie." He cleared his throat, slowly becoming more animated.

"I think you're just about the only person to hear that sob story." He gave a nod, and then glanced at her.

"Your turn. Let's hear your story."

She began to tell it, choosing to leave out her immunity, the entire time running her hand cautiously over the scar under her long shirt. She said only that the fireflies needed to see her. There was a time and a place for revealing secrets like that. That wasn't it.

They talked, and talked late into the night. The warm summer day had long since turned into a cool night, driving them inside and forcing them to sit around the kitchen table and weak gas lamp as they continued to chat. The talk became lighter and carefree. She recited all her jokes, and he laughed at each one, only pausing to ask her what the internet was, to which she gave a shrug and a "fuck if I know". He told her stories of the places he had traveled through. She listened intently, absorbing the stories of the decayed world around them. Suddenly he got up, and held a finger up for her to wait a moment as he disappeared into the living room. He returned with the black rectangle from before, along with a few pieces of paper. He set it down on the table and slid it towards her.

"Now this…I have a theory about what it does. Look, it's got a place for these headphones down here. I think it plays music. I found it going through a city. Memphis, I think it was. And this –"he grabbed the cord that came with it, "this plugs into something. But I don't know what. I bet it has a lot of music on it. I'll get it to work one day."

She pressed the small button on it, but the screen stayed dark. Ellie flipped it around in her hands, studying it. It was cracked and chipped in places, but looked like it might still work. She looked up, and noticed Marcus staring at her with a grin on his face.

"What?" She looked at him quizzically.

"Want to see something awesome?"

She gave a giggle.

"Okay. Only as long as it doesn't involve shedding clothes."

He let out a snort.

"Yeah, well obviously. Here, watch. I learned this from some little old lady outside of Wichita. Did you even know there were any little old ladies left in this world? I didn't."

He began to fold the paper, molding it into something. She watched, her eyes widening as it began to take the shape of a bird. He set it down on the rough table and pushed it towards her. She delicately picked it up, placing it in her hand and bringing it up to eye level.

"That's…that's so cool. Make something else."

She put the bird down as he shrugged and began playing with the second piece of paper. She leaned in, and he placed his hand on her forehead and pushed her back into her seat, wagging a finger at her.

"Ah ah ah, let the professional work."

Ellie crossed her arms and huffed playfully, watching as a flower began to appear out of the folds. With a satisfied hum he placed it next to the bird, leaning back and cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Told you it was awesome."

She moved the chair next to him, and held the flower between two fingers as she examined it. He rested an elbow on the table, and stretched his neck as he watched her study the two paper objects.

"You like them, don't you?"

"I've never seen something like this before. "

"Huh. Want them?"

"I…no shit, can I really have them?"

"Well what do you have to trade?"

Ellie sat back in the chair, scratching her head. He kept teasing her.

"Well, if you don't have anything I can just pull them apart and –"

She leaned forwards, resting a hand on his shoulder as she placed an awkward kiss on his cheek. The edge of her lips brushed his, and she quickly pulled back, her face flush and her eyes wide. He blinked, and then turned towards her. She had no idea why she had done that.

"I – did you…" He cleared his throat once, twice, then looked away from her as he slid both objects towards her. Still blushing she gently scooped them up and held them in each hand. His shoulders heaved once, twice, and a snicker escaped his lips. It turned to chuckling, chuckling to laughing, and Ellie followed suit, till they were both doubled over for air. After a few minutes it quieted down, and Marcus wiped at an eye, letting a chuckle escape his lips every few seconds.

"Damn."

"Yeah, that just happened." Ellie said, flicking some hair out of her eyes as she moved the paper objects to the center of the table. He turned towards her, reclining in his chair.

"You give a guy hope Ellie."

She drummed her fingers on the table, smiling contentedly.

"Hope? That's so crazy man."

He countered.

"Well people are crazy." She rolled her eyes, and he let a grin split his lips before adding.

"I guess I like crazy."

She giggled, then got up and walked over to one of the handmade cabinets she had helped Joel build. She rooted through a drawer, and came back with a weathered deck of cards.

"Ever played go fish?"

He shook his head no, and her smile widened mischievously.

"Well prepare to learn and get your ass kicked buddy."

Deeper in the house Joel got up from the stairs he had been sitting on. He had listened to all the laughter and talking, and had seen her shadow lean in towards the new boy's. Stifling his overprotective urge he turned around and walked back up the stairs, being careful not to put any pressure where the stairs would squeak. He reached his door and turned the handle, pausing to listen, hearing Ellie laugh triumphantly and the boy swear. He shook his head and exhaled slowly, the faintest smile flickering across his lips. Damn kids, he thought. At least she was finally happy. That was all that mattered.


	4. Chapter 4 - Scars

Chapter 4

Scars

August 2034

It had been two weeks since the boy had first appeared. He and Ellie had been inseparable since then, only splitting when she would help Joel at the warehouse, leaving him to wander out of the gates to roam around the woods surrounding town. They hadn't kissed again, even though there had been plenty of chances. She wasn't going to allow herself to get to close to someone who would only wander off.

She woke up on a warm Saturday afternoon. They had spent a good part of the night before gazing up at the stars, searching for constellations across the pinpoints of lights. She let herself sleep in for once. She wandered downstairs, already wearing a long shirt. Her arms hadn't gone bare since Marcus arrived. The house was empty, Marcus and all his gear having vanished. She heard Joel plucking at his guitar on the back porch, and walked out to him. Ellie pushed her hands into her pants pockets nervously.

"His stuff is gone. Did he finally- "

"Headed up the river to freshen up. Your friend hasn't run off yet."

She nodded, turning back inside. A quiet sigh of relief escaped her, and Ellie pulled her shoes on as she quickly devoured a dry roll. May as well wander out to meet him, she thought. Besides, she had promised to show him all the cool spots in the forest.

The sun had just risen to its zenith, and shone brightly in the cloudless blue sky as she walked towards the gate. She saw a flash of motion from the corner of her eye, and one of her friends jogged up next to her.

"Ellie! So how are you and your new boyfriend doing?" She had been getting endless teasing from them. But, Joel told her when she complained, that was exactly what friends were for.

"For fuck's sake, he's not my boyfriend!" She exclaimed, blushing.

"Oh, sure. That's only why you and Mr. mysterious only spend almost all your time together." The friend poked her in the arm for emphasis as she spoke. Ellie huffed, and waved her friend off as she walked past the guards and up the trail towards the forest.

The quiet bustle of the town faded behind her as she walked into the woods. Birds chirped all around her, and a breeze rustled through the canopy. She walked and walked, blazing a trail towards the small river they had passed on their way back from Salt Lake City. For a moment the trees dropped away and nestled in a small field was a cabin, abandoned and overgrown. As she walked past it she glanced through the window, and saw her switch blade still resting against it. A shiver crept down her spine, causing her to look away and walk just a little faster into the woods.

She reached the river, and followed it up-stream, walking by the water's edge. Rounding a bend she stopped, and saw him kneeling in the river, working at cleaning his jacket. He torso was bare and he wore only pants, with his socks, shirt and sweatshirt all laid across a nearby fallen tree, drying. He faced upstream, away from her, and she could see the left side of his back. She began to walk towards him, suddenly stopping in shock. Scars ripped across his skin, from his shoulder down to the top of his pants. She let out a small gasp, and he quickly looked over his shoulder, a revolver seeming to have magically appeared in his hand. He relaxed when he saw her, tucking the pistol back into his pocket and chuckling.

"Shit Ellie. You scared me. What are you doing out here anyways?" His eyes flashed with humor, though she swore she could see a sharp glint of anxiety flash before it was hidden away. He turned towards her, sitting down in the cool water. She shook her head.

"That's just fucked."

She went to wade into the river with him, but he held up a hand to stop her. He glanced down at the sparking water, then back at her, a sad smile forming.

"Like I said, it wasn't the best childhood. It's ok though. Really. Just sit down, you can keep me company." She backed up, looking around before rolling a dislodged tree stump over and using it as a makeshift seat. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the birds as she watched him scrub away. He paused, holding the jacket with one hand to keep it from floating away. He let out a laugh, and looked at her.

"I could have been freaking naked."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, letting out a slight pfft sound. He shifted in the water, using a finger of his free hand to trace lines in the gentle current. He sighed, looking down then around him before letting his eyes fall on her.

"look Ellie. I – well take this with a grain of salt, seeing as how I haven't met too many people our age after I left home but, well I haven't really met a girl like you before. There's something about you, like there's way more to you than what you show. You've got some kind of huge secret. I'm not asking you to tell me it, but…well, whatever it is defines you. I like it."

She looked down at her shoes, a small rush of adrenaline filling her at his guess, even though she couldn't help but blush from his comment. She fished for something to say, before he looked quickly down and continued in a quieter voice.

"It'll suck when I leave."

Her heat dropped, and she closed her eyes, shaking her head in silent protest. Her mind seemed to race, before she decided 'fuck it.' She took a deep breath, looking back up at him, and with a quiet voice spoke up.

"You don't have to. Leave, I mean. You already earn your keep by running off into the woods to hunt….You could just stay here. This place, it could use more people like you."

Her foot restlessly tapped against the ground as she spoke. He looked at her intently, trying to choose his words carefully.

"Ellie I – I don't know. I'm a restless kind of guy, and I don't want to wear out my welcome here…"

She stood up, and walked to the water's edge, squatting down to his level and searching his eyes. He stared back, slightly apprehensive, and she bit her lip before speaking.

"Just think about it."

He was silent for a minute, and the sound of the wind and birds seemed to roar down the river. He looked up through the trees, then back to her, nervously clicking his tongue a few times before slightly nodding, mouthing 'okay' before moving his jacket in front of him and resuming cleaning it. Ellie walked back to the stump, heavily sitting down on it, and burying her head in her hand as she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. There was a crash from the woods in front of her and birds scattered with a flutter and volley of chirps. Her head shot up at the sound, and Marcus spun quickly, slipping into a sitting position as he pointed his revolver into the forest. Silenced enveloped them, and after a few minutes she looked around, then down to him. He was still scanning the tree line. The scars crossed from one side of his back to the other, and Ellie's eyes widened with shock and she felt her stomach lurch. The world seemed to spin slightly, and she had to slide off the stump and down to the ground. Nestled between several scars, almost invisible among the scar tissue was another healed wound that resembled a bite mark.

* * *

"What the hell is that?" She moaned weakly, pushing herself up to her knees as she pointed at his back. He looked over his shoulder, and cracked a smile and seemed about to make a joke before he saw her gaze and pointed finger. His smile dropped away, and he turned towards her and quickly stood up.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." He replied quickly, quickly walking out of the river and grabbing a ragged towel to dry himself off with.

She stood up, her face twisting into a grimace off sickly realization. She gestured towards him.

"Bull. Shit. That…that's old. That mark is old."

He griped the towel, screwing his eyes shut as his hands shook slightly.

"Ellie, it's nothing. Please."

She turned away from him, her eyes darting around, before she wheeled back.

"Like fuck that's nothing!" Her voice echoed through the trees. She took a breath and made to yell again, but her words quietly slipped off her tongue.

"You've been bitten. But you're not one of them…you're immune."

He pulled at the towel, before taking a deep breath, exhaling it sharply. He swallowed, and looked up at her.

Yes…No…I don't know…I don't. It was all so crazy. It was when I was still in North Carolina. After I stopped being the perfect killer they tossed me away to guard the prison camp they set up. It was for criminals, people we captured…the insane. For whatever reason a group of infected rushed us one day, and all the prisoners tried to make a break for it in the confusion. And some of those nutty ones…well they liked to bite just as much as the infected. I don't know if it was one of them or some psycho that knocked me to the ground and tried to make me a snack. Everyone else was too busy fighting their own fights, so no one else saw who bit me. Whoever it was took a bite then ran off, and my face was in the mud the whole time. So they quarantine me, and hey, forty-eight hours later I'm still me, so I don't get a bullet. Two weeks later they actually let me out."

He looked at her with mournful eyes, and lifted his arms in despair. She stood glued to her place, her eyes still piercing and wide, and her head racing at this revelation. She had thought her whole life she would be alone...

"So yeah, I don't fucking know. Maybe I am immune, maybe not. I've never been bitten again, and I really, _really_ don't want to be." He ran a hand through his short hair, searching for more words.

"You want to know why I wander around? It's because eventually someone sees it, and when they do everything changes, and suddenly I'm some potential savior. A fucking Jesus. I don't want to be treated like that. I'm not a savior. I'm not a good person. I don't even know if I'm a cure…"

He walked back into the river, wading a few steps down stream, before kicking at the water and letting off a frustrated growl. He seemed to whimper, and weakly continued.

"I'm scared to know the truth, alright? And the only way to know is to be bitten. If I'm not…dammit I don't want to die Ellie. I've got so much to make up for."

He turned back to her, and walked towards her with his hands open towards her.

"Please –"he quietly spoke as he shook his head "Please of all the people who have seen it, don't be one that hates me for it. Not you. I already feel like a freak, or some coward failure. It's so lonely Ellie."

He stood in front of her, his eyes cast downwards. He looked up with an expression of humiliation, and saw a tear roll down her cheek as she rolled her sleeve up, revealing her mark. His eyes began to sting as tears of his own welled up and he took her by the shoulders, shaking his head in disbelief, breathing out "oh fuck Ellie…"

* * *

He kept switching his gaze from her eyes to her mark. He slowly slid a hand down her arm, gently across her skin as his fingers bummed over the ragged and scarred flesh of her forearm. As he touched it he trembled even more. He wrapped his hand around it, before Ellie let out a sob and shoved him back. She balled her fists up, and glared at him.

"You come in here, pop into my life so charming and human, then to top it all off you drop this fucking secret, revel something that I thought only I had to deal with and live with, and…and you want to walk away? You want to leave the only other person who has any idea of the guilt you feel and the pain it brings? Then go, just go Marcus. Don't wait a bit longer and just disappear if that's what you want. But don't you _ever_ come back."

She never took her eyes off him, glaring through tears, her tearful eyes paralyzing him. He let his mouth fall open once, twice, before finding words.

"Ellie I didn't know. I didn't know. You never told me…I never told you. Ellie I -"

He took a step towards her and she tried to jerk away, slipping and falling to the ground. She scrambled to her feet, shivering and backing away from him. He still tried to get closer, and she stumbled into the river, losing her footing and tripping on the slippery rocks, gashing her knee on the riverbed below as she fell.

He quickly moved to her side, bending down as she screwed her eyes shut, pressing her fingers into the silt. She let a ragged breath out as he put an arm across her back, and he slung the arm she tried to put out to stop him over his. As he leaned in to help her up he could see tears slipping out from between tightly shut eyelids. She kept her eyes shut and tilted her head away from him.

"I have fucking abandonment issues. I know that. So just go if you're going. But please, please just…don't. I don't want to be alone. I don't want to be the only one."

Time seemed to freeze for him, and he felt a cold rush through his blood as he looked down at her shuddering form. She was so fragile and so strong, both at the same time. He stared at her, feeling the air rush into and out of his lungs with each breath, until he bent his head down, lightly pressing the edge of his forehead against hers.

"I won't." The words gently rolled from his tongue, and Ellie let out the quietest of sobs.

He began to lift her up, pulling his arm in and curling her against his chest. He sat back into the water, cradling her shaking figure. She nestled her face into the crook of his neck with one of her hands gently clawing at the bite mark on his back as he wrapped his other arm around her, whispering to just let it all out, she didn't have to be so strong for now. She seemed to seize up, the go limp in his arms, quietly sobbing against him, as the tears rolled down his arm to drop off his elbow into the stream below, being carried far away by the current.

* * *

**A/N**:

Well, as luck would have it I have things drafted up to a few chapters before the ending, which means a few quicker updates than normal. As always, R&R. Every comment is appreciated, from long reviews to short ones, even just comments on the chapter. I love getting feedback, and it just makes the story that much better for everyone!


	5. Chapter 5 - Snowfall

Chapter 5

Snowfall

December 2034

It had begun snowing. At first it had been just a fine powder across the land, now a thick blanket laid atop the ground. The town was no exception, and the streets and roofs were covered white. Before the world ended it would have made an idyllic postcard. Ellie backed through the door, her shoulders coated in a thin white, her arms full with freshly chopped firewood. She walked into the kitchen, dumping a few logs by the stove, and carrying the rest into the living room to stack up by the fireplace. Her work done she collapsed onto the couch, pulling a book out that had been wedged between the cushions and flipping back to where she had left off. For once, it wasn't her book. It was Marcus's. Though, she thought to herself, that was sort of relative considering they basically shared everything. Books, food, and occasionally a bed when she felt Joel was in a particularly deep sleep. Her friends never let her live that down when they pried it out of her, even though all they had done so far was curl up with each other and kiss. What was the harm in that? Besides, she felt safe pressed against him, like the world could never touch her.

For better or worse she was attached to him. Not that she was complaining. It was a strange feeling, this romance, but she tried to embrace it, usually by embracing him. Not today though. Today she had the house to herself. Joel was taking inventory of the foodstuffs, and Marcus was out scavenging somewhere, earning his keep. He had a knack for finding things. She thought it was adorable how he usually tried to bring some trinket back he thought she'd like. He thought it was adorable how she always blushed and kicked at the ground with a smile when he managed to find something she liked.

Despite Joel's constant watch on the two of them they had started a relationship, Joel only grudgingly accepting it, and officially becoming informed of it when he caught them wrapped up in each other's lips one night on the couch. Ellie cringed slightly at the memory. That had been a tense moment. If looks could kill Joel could have depopulated the world that night. But dammit she was sixteen now, and according to the diary she had read in the farmhouse this is what normal sixteen year old girls got to do. For once she wanted a taste of normal. Marcus treated her better than she could have hoped, and even Joel had been forced to admit that.

Life had evened out. It had finally formed a comfortable routine, one she couldn't complain about. Every day she would help Joel, wander home and do her "chores" as he called them, then spend the evening relaxing with Marcus when he was around. It was the closest thing to comfortable she had ever experienced. Sure the house didn't have a heater, so they either bundled themselves up or threw wood on the fire, but at least she wasn't being shot at every day. Bandit attacks happened, but the town had slowly grown to the point where the raiders that swept through usually didn't waste their time. The infected that would try to wander in were mercilessly gunned down.

She curled up on the couch, picturing the images being played out in the book. She reached up and pulled off the blanket drapped across the back of the couch, bundling up in it and pressing deeper into the couch, smiling contentedly. She wished Marcus was there to cuddle up with her while they just did nothing. She guessed he was probably just as bored traipsing around the woods as she was right about now.

* * *

Marcus dashed across the empty cabin, adrenaline flooding his body. He had stumbled onto a small cluster of buildings half a day's walk from town, then a pack of raiders had stumbled on them too. They hadn't noticed him yet. They had trekked in sloppily, tiredly, and were moving down between the buildings, looking for signs of life. There were four of them. He quieted his breathing and pressed an ear to the cold glass pane. Their voices, muffled by the cold and glass, filtered back to him.

"Want to get this done….how much further to Seattle….want to get back to Bragg…been seven fucking months already…"

His blood ran cold. Bragg – that was a name he hadn't heard in a long time. That was home. They were from his old tribe. _What are they doing here_ he thought. He had to find out. His mind raced. No way he could win in a straight up fight. He had to be smart about this. He walked towards the front door, pulling out a nail bomb and some string. He wedged the bomb near the door, and tied the string to the pin, running across the threshold and tying it around the leg of a nearby desk. He moved back into the far room, and quietly opened the window, before darting back into the main room to quickly kick over a dry rotted table. It fell, splintering against the floor with a heavy thud, and he could hear the men swear in surprise. He dashed back across the house and leapt through the window, closing it from the outside and moving to the edge of the house.

He knew how they would work. Unless his kind had magically changed since he left, they would follow a particular set of steps for things like this. It almost felt like cheating. Two through the front door, one around the back, and one to watch the surrounding area. He could hear a man creeping up the side of the house. He tensed his muscles, and gripped his rifle tightly.

The man rounded the corner, and Marcus pounced, powering the rifle butt into the raider's groin, before grabbing him viciously by the hair and pulling him around the corner and slamming his head into the side of the house, kneeing him in the back of the head for good measure. He dropped into the snow with hardly a sound. He didn't have time to yell. Marcus rolled the unconscious man face up. This was the one who was going to tell him what he needed to know. The others were expendable.

The two men entered the house, one kicking the door in while the other swept into the room. They had been hiking for over fifteen hours. They were dead on their feet. The man in the door didn't even notice his foot slightly catching on something. The pin dropped to the floor, and as both men had entered the room the bomb went off with dull crack. Shrapnel flew out, both men dropping with the backs of their necks and head pulped by nails and screws.

The last man had seen his friend suddenly double over before disappearing behind the house, and didn't have time to shout to his friends inside the house before the explosion killed them. He scrambled back, seeing a flash of motion near the house and firing his rifle at the darting shape. Marcus dogged the gunfire, running between the gaps of two houses, turning around to fire back, making the raider duck and curse. Marcus ran around the edge of the house, sweeping the barrel of his rifle around – and found the raider gone. Of course, he would be trying to flank him. How sloppy of him to forget. Marcus dropped to the ground, twisting to look towards the side of the house across the snow-covered street just in time to see a man step out of cover. He pulled the trigger and the raider dropped, a brutal puff of red spattering the tree behind him as his brain was violently expunged from his head.

He got up and ran to the body, grabbing the ammo off him and searching for anything else. Except for some stale food he had nothing. Marcus paused to think. The other man wouldn't talk easily. Unless he was a coward, which most of his kind weren't, he would rather die than give anything up unless he saw no point in resistance. He'd have to be smart again. Marcus stood up, and grabbed the limp body by his boots, dragging him into one of the undamaged houses before returning to do the same for the unconscious man.

* * *

The man groggily came to a few hours later. The world looked hazy through a threadbare blindfold, and he could see a shape moving on the other side. It was ripped off, and he saw he was in one of the cabins his group were about to call home for the night. He blinked, and saw one of his friends tied up to a chair, a thick sack over his head. The sun was setting through the window outside, paining everything in an orange tint. A figure stepped into view. It had been the one who knocked him out. He was waiting for him. The lucky bastard.

"Your friend was actually quite cooperative. How about you do the same, and let's have a little fact checking session."

The figure pulled a chair out and sat down on it, crossing his legs and almost nonchalantly leaning back. The raider spit at him.

"I'm not telling you anything. I'd rather die than –"

"Than disgrace yourself. Yes, Yes I know. He said that too. But he gave it all up after a very painful process. I'd rather skip that with you."

The raider shifted to look at his friend. He noticed the top patch of the sack. It was colored a light tan. The darkness coating the rest of it was drying blood. He swallowed hard, and looked back at Marcus to glare defiantly at him. He continued speaking, unaware or uncaring of the man's resolve.

"You think I'm lying, don't you. Well, him and I, we had a little chat. I bet Bragg is lovely this time of year. Tell me friend, are you from Bragg, or one of the colonies she 'set up'? And this Consul Morgan character sounds like quite the leader. After all, he did make one hell of a post-apocalyptic empire. I'm sure one day your daughter's daughters will never have to worry about losing their sons to the disease."

The raider froze. No one this far out would know those names or those phrases. His friend actually talked. The mission was compromised. A bit of fear dripped into his heart. If it was all lost anyways, he didn't want to suffer. The figure stood up, and turned his back to him with his hands neatly folded in parade rest.

"Now to the fact checking. Seven month's is a long time away from anywhere. I couldn't imagine marching across the country from wherever this Bragg is to Seattle. Your friend told me, but just to be sure, and just so I can torture him a little more if I find out he was lying, what were you going there to do?"

The raider hung his head, hoping he'd at least get a quick death.

"Kill."

A fist drove into his temple, and he saw stars.

"Yes, kill. No shit, that's all you do. Now how about you give me the long version. Please don't spare me any back-story. I love a good tale."

"We…we were sent to tie up loose ends. After those bastards became obsessed with finding a cure they split from us a year and a half ago once Morgan tried to reel them in and focus on surviving. They wanted to find a cure to hold the world hostage with. We heard that's what the Fireflies or whatever they were called were doing in the north. That was fine and good till we decided to expand our territory and we needed more soldiers than scientists. Didn't know why, the leadership chose that, but fuck it. So Morgan orders the program to be slowed down, but those traitors wouldn't have any of it. Kept going on about how they might have been so close a year before. So they ran, a handful of them, supposedly to Seattle to set up shop. We were supposed to kill the leader."

Marcus turned his back to the man.

"And who would that be?"

"The former captain Erikson." The raider laced his voice with venom at the name. He was quite the zealot. He looked up at Marcus.

"Thank you for the cooperation." Marcus' voice was deadpan. The raider licked his split lips, seeing Marcus turn around to face him before he was calmly shot through the head. The arm holding the gun began to tremble, then his legs, until his whole body vibrated. He bit his lip, and threw the pistol into a nearby mirror, shattering it. He walked over to a cabinet and leaned against it, breathing deeply and trying to regain his composure.

_Him._

The scars on his back itched and he could hear the blood rushing through his ears.

_Him._

So many screams seemed to fill his mind.

_Him._

He was going to kill him, for everything he had done.


	6. Chapter 6 - Collision

**A/N**:

I suppose it would be prudent to tell you that if any chapter so far deserves a warning for potentially objectionable material, I guess it's this one. It isn't over the top - I hardly even consider it bad in any sense of the word - or creepy, but it's there and some people may not agree with me. So enjoy, or don't, if that's your thing.

* * *

Chapter 6

Collision

1 day later

Marcus walked through the gates of the town, giving a curt nod to the guards. His face was stormy, his mind brooding. He had spent last night in a restless state pacing about the small cabin, trying to reel the anger that bubbled out of him. The town seemed quiet, though his thoughts may have simply drowned out any other noise. His past couldn't just leave him alone, could it? After finding happiness here he 'just happened' to find the source of all his pain about a month's hike away. Even that was far too close for comfort. He had a gut feeling that if he left this alone there would be consequences. Erikson had to die.

He pushed open the door to the house, walking in and dropping his gear by the couch, bending down to pull out a small canteen nestled away at the bottom of his bag. He walked onto the back porch, unscrewed the top and tilted it to his lips, grimacing as the moonshine burned its way down his throat. It hit his stomach, and he felt the old warmth spread through his system. It had been a while but he was no stranger to drink. Back home his mob had usually killed during the day and drank into the night, and they were only kids. The leadership probably did that to keep everyone nice and placid. All he had left was what he had taken from home so long ago.

He took another gulp, before a thought pushed its way to the center of his head.

_Plotting murder and drinking. Old habits die hard._

With a curse he threw the canteen to the ground, letting it bounce and spill the alcohol into the snow. He looked down at the ground, running a hand through his hair.

He had to keep control. He would not allow himself to turn into the monster he used to be. Or he may as well just put a bullet in his own brain and spare everyone else the trouble.

The door behind him opened and closed, and Ellie walked out, sitting down lightly besides him.

"I thought something was up when you stormed into the house without even noticing me waving at you down the street. Talk to me."

She gently wrapped an arm through his, sliding up against him and tracing a few fingers across the skin of his hand. It usually turned him into putty.

"What would you do if everything you ever hated about yourself could be condensed into one other person, and after running away from them for so long you find out they're almost as close to you as they always have been? What would you do Ellie…If you were so tired of running from them?"

She looked at him with concern, her brow furrowed.

"I'd have to ask myself why I hated them so much first."

He turned towards her, his eyes lit up with raw pain. She winced.

"Because they turned you into everything that's wrong with people! Then once you found your soul again tried to slice you to pieces in some desperate attempt to find a cure they don't deserve! Because he made my life a literal hell and even now just thinking about it makes me lose myself just a little and I ca-"

She leaned in and kissed him, cutting his sentence short. Out of reflex he kissed back, and she slowly pushed him down to the cold deck below, lightly grasping his collar as she deepened the kiss. She nuzzled her head under his chin, and he wrapped his arms around her, letting a weary sight out.

"I need this Ellie. I need the closure now that I know it's something I can get. I tried to make my old life some other world, and I'll be damned before I let it bleed into this one permanently."

She breathed him in, listening to his heart beat as he spoke. He finished, and she looked up at him before speaking, her words slow and carefully chosen.

"Then what? What happens after that, huh?"

"Then I come back to you Ellie. And I stay here. I want to close that chapter of my life. I'd like to think I could write a new one with you."

She sat up, and was silent for several minutes, staring out across the snow-covered yard. She spoke quietly, her words barely louder than a whisper.

"You won't be coming back to me Marcus." He quickly sat up, a hurt expression on his face as he opened his mouth to protest. She waved a hand and kept speaking. "Because I'm going with you."

He blinked, before standing up and pacing back and forth.

"Like hell you are. I'm not going to risk losing you because of my past."

"You think I'm going to risk losing you to _your _past?"

"Ellie!" He began to raise his voice. "I will come back. I swear."

She rose to her feet, turning to him and glaring defiantly.

"I know you'll come back, because I'm going to be there to make sure you do. You want a new chapter of your life? How about right now, page one, you and I finishing this? We are boyfriend and girlfriend, why the _fuck_ wouldn't you want me with you!?"

"Because I would never forgive myself if you got hurt because of my past. Besides, you hate the winter. It's the middle of December. Do you know how far away Seattle is?"

Her expression took on a strange tone, and he stopped to look into her eyes. She shook her head, letting the argumentative posture disappear.

"Yeah I hate the winter. But guess what Marcus, I love you, and I'm going with you. You try to leave and Ill only follow. I've known you for almost five months, and they've been some of the best times of my life. Life's too short anymore to just let good times like those walk away. I'm not letting you do this alone. I'm going."

He shrugged his shoulders in defeat at the same time his heart leapt. She had never said those words to him before.

"Joel would never let you do this. He'd kill me if he knew we cuddled up together in your bed, never mind let you run off on some fool journey like this with me."

"He will understand…I'll make him understand. He gave me a chance to start over, and he is going to let me do the same for you."

She walked past him and into the house. A look in her eyes told him to follow. Ellie walked up the stairs and into her room, tossing her jacket on the floor before sitting down on the bed. He followed, gently shutting the door behind him, leaning against it for a few moments as he studied her. She patted the bed next to her and he walked over, tossing his jacket off. With a creaking of springs he sat down and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. She silently leaned her head against his shoulder. The quiet seemed to envelope them, the only sounds that of their gentle breathing and a few birds chirping nearby. He laid down on the bed, pulling her down next to him, and she reflexively curled into him, letting out a quiet sigh as he pulled the blankets over them. It was warm and safe under the covers, and just felt so far away from any of life's problems. The sun silently began to dip below the horizon, its orange rays peaking through the loosely drawn curtains. Marcus kissed the back of her neck, and she let out a slight hum of contentment.

"Wont Joel be back soon?" His voice was quiet, and laced with affection. He held her just a little tighter. He didn't want to let go.

"No, his brother is having some kind of meeting for important people up at the dam. He said he'd be back tomorrow afternoon."

"You know I love you too, right?"

She shifted around so she was facing him, her heart fluttering. She pushed her forehead against his and smiled, closing her eyes.

"Say it again."

"I love you Ellie."

She opened her eyes, and their gazes met and became fixed. It was as if two stars had become trapped in each other's decaying orbits. They kissed, whispering silent words to each other as she pressed her head against the crook of his neck. He reached out his hand to gently circle around her forearm, his fingertips tender against the discolored skin of her scar. A powerful shiver swept through her, and the two bodies pressed closer. Another whispered phrase three words long, was uttered, and the room seemed to dip into shadowed twilight. Time stood still in the cool gloom. The two stars delicately collided as the sun sank below the windowpane, and it seemed a brilliant light burned beautifully in its harshness and honesty. Darkness rushed in, and they fell into it.

* * *

Marcus woke up, the room covered in darkness. Night had fallen hours ago. He looked around, his face cold in the unheated room. The blankets had been pulled up to his chin. A figure was curled up underneath them, and he smiled as he lifted the covers up and saw Ellie molded to him, her head resting on his chest with one of her arms curled around him and the other snaking up to gently clutch his shoulder. Her skin was warm and soft against his. He moved the covers to let her breathe easier and she slightly shifted, pressing closer to him as the cool air momentarily rushed under the covers. She breathed deeply as she slept, and he closed his eyes to listen to her. She had never looked so innocent, and so alive. He didn't deserve her, not after the things he had done. But she loved him, oddly enough. He wasn't about to try to talk her out of it. He wrapped his arms around her, tracing his fingers between her shoulder blades as he closed his eyes, slipping back into a dream where he was relaxing in a hammock swinging to the rhythm of her breathing.

* * *

**A/N**:

Well, there we go. Hope nobody tore their eyes out over this chapter. Like I said above, I don't see a problem with it. It's tasteful, and hey, that's life, it happens. As always, keep those reviews coming in guys/gals. A few of them have actually led to edits and revisions in some chapters that had yet to have been posted, so your comments and such are actually doing something! Hope you all enjoyed, the next chapter should probably be up tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7 - Iron Horses

Chapter 7

Iron Horses

They sat around the kitchen table in the morning light. Ellie sat opposite him, her head resting on a fist as she listened to Marcus talk. She had told him that if they were going to do this she deserved to know why this man had to die and how it would bring him any peace. She wanted the long version. He laced his fingers together in suppressed anxiety as he spoke.

"Erikson – he's…well he's the one who trained me. He was the one who gave me all those damn scars. He was popular with the leadership because he was so brutal, and the kids he trained turned out the same way. It was a whipping for every little mistake. I grew up with pain and fear where you'd think most kids would get happiness."

He stood up, walking over to the window and gazing out as he kept speaking.

"He didn't even stop there. After the prison outbreak he became obsessed with finding a cure. It went from breeding brutality to doing 'science'. And to think he used to be a fucking doctor... He wanted it to blackmail everyone with. It would have been his legacy, and the ultimate bargaining chip. Nothing but a dirty fucking power-play. It started out with cutting open infected. Then cutting open prisoners to see what the difference was. From there it jumped to him infecting innocent people just to tear them to pieces at different stages of infection. It was no secret I had a bite mark. He became convinced that I was immune even though my bite never had any of the signs of being from an infected. By that point I was so disillusioned with everything that when he approached me, or should I say ordered me to be 'involved' with his experiments I ran instead of letting him slice me open. I wasn't going to give those people any kind of cure. So I disappeared. Now I hear he had a falling out, and split from the group. I don't know why he chose to run to Seattle, maybe he thought they wouldn't be stubborn enough to chase him cross-country. I just know that now it's him or me. One of us has to go. Coincidences like this don't just happen. I run across the whole country only to have him put even further ahead of me? This has been a long time coming and I'm not running from my past anymore. For everyone I killed or would have gone on to kill because of what he tried to make me, he has to go."

His eyes burned with a purpose, and Ellie nodded at his explanation, accepting it with no questions. If this is what he needed to be at peace, then she'd make sure he got it. She saved Joel without realizing it. She wanted to make the choice of saving someone else. It was time to earn her new life.

She walked up to Joel's room, rooting through his nightstand to find a travel atlas he had picked out of an abandoned car a while ago. She found the ruined book, dropping it onto the bed and opening it up to pages and pages of maps. This would do. She hefted the map book up, turning around to head out of the room, only pausing to stare down at the pictures he kept on his nightstand. Her eyes shined out at her from one of the photos. She shifted the book under one arm, reaching out to pick up the picture, staring down at it with a strange kind of curiosity.

Ellie remembered that day from the other side of the camera. She had had no idea of what to do really, and his suggestion of "act natural" had only perplexed her more. Even still she had tried to crack a smile like all the girls she saw on posters during their adventure, even though she was convinced she had spectacularly blown it. But Joel took the picture anyways and was almost smiling from ear to ear as he shook it in the air waiting for it to clear up. She realized the only times he seemed to smile were when it had to do with her.

That thought caused a slight pang of guilt to shoot through her, and she gently set the picture frame back down on the nightstand, re-hefting the book and slowly walking out of the room. She wasn't abandoning him, was she? No, she thought, she was only doing for Marcus what Joel had done for her. Being there, and making the hard choice to see things through. She would talk to Joel when he got back. She would make him understand why she had to do this. Besides, she owed him something that was long overdue now. And she would be back. Joel was her family now, and she would not abandon him. She chose to stay with him, just as she was choosing to help Marcus. It was about the choices people made. This was hers.

* * *

They had spent the afternoon planning, and a route had jumped out at them.

"Iron Horse trail. It'll take us a while to get to Seattle, but most of this trail is through the middle of nowhere, so it should be safe."

Marcus was hovering over the maps, tracing the route with his finger. He looked up to Ellie for confirmation, and she nodded her head in affirmation. The plan was set.

"How long will it take?" She asked, leaning in to study the trail.

"If we stay on the move for fourteen hours a day it shouldn't take any longer than twenty-two days, one way. If we manage to convince the town to lend us horses, even less. Can you keep that pace?"

Ellie nodded, and Marcus gave her a resigned smile. A thought ran through her head, and she blinked a few times, before turning to him.

"Do you have any idea how to ride a horse?"

He shook his head.

"Not a clue. I figured you would give me a crash course. Hopefully without the crash part."

She let out a sigh, and he walked behind her, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a gentle kiss on the check before pulling away.

"Better go pack up then."

* * *

Joel walked along the street, his boots lightly crunching into the freshly fallen snow. The meeting hadn't told him anything he didn't know. The town was always a step closer to collapsing then people liked to admit. Tommy's bunch meant well, and they actually acted well, but so many fresh faces had wandered in that if the power went out for too long or there wasn't enough food anarchy would shut the place down. It took longer to civilize people then it did to turn them into savages. He had suggested some rationing. Everyone here had probably gone days without food at one point or another. A little less venison and bread each day wouldn't kill them. And if they didn't like it they could turn what they got into a stew to make it last longer. That's life.

He stopped by the warehouse to look over some supply lists. As usual for those mundane tasks his mind began to wander, even though his eyes continued to sharply flick over the manifests. As usual he thought about Ellie.

Her current state was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because he had never seen her quite so alive and carefree, and a curse because it was a damn boy who was the cause. He watched the kid like a hawk. He would not let him break his baby girl's heart, not after everything she had endured. They had started some teenage relationship, and whether it was due to his freighting glares he gave the boy at every opportunity, or the fact that Marcus actually seemed like a decent person, it had been mostly a smooth one. Unfortunately for Joel he had been forced to face that issue when he walked in on Ellie apparently trying to trade tongues with Marcus.

He let them have their fun. Life could be so short, and even though his blood ran cold at the thought of those two doing anything, he was wise enough to know that it was inevitable, and all he could hope for was that she continued to act like the intelligent girl he knew she was, even with hormones spiking through her blood. They must think he didn't know they liked to cuddle up in bed every so often.

He let out a sigh, and began to head the short distance home. Even if he didn't like what they had, there was only so much he could do about it. He could kick the kid out, for sure, but he didn't own Ellie, even if he loved her like a daughter. She was fiercely independent, more so than Sarah, and she was tough enough that he had to begrudgingly accept that. He walked up the porch of the house, and opened the door.

* * *

"Over my dead body are you setting off on this damn adventure. You are not going to go out and risk your life now, after everything you've been through."

Joel shot a withering glare at Ellie, and she shot one back of fierce determination. He had walked in on them just as they finished packing. Ellie had planned to tell Joel what was going to happen, but him walking in on the preparations had made it all too real to him far too quickly. The two squared off on opposite sides of the table, and Marcus had wisely retreated to the back porch.

"After everything I've been through I think I've earned the right to decide for myself Joel! You took that choice away from me and gave me a second chance when I didn't even want one. Let me use it for something. Let me earn my fucking life."

Her eyes burned bright with resolve. She needed this. She wanted this. She needed to find a reason to even stay alive, one removed from Joel. This was her chance, and she wouldn't let it slip through her fingers.

"Earn your life? By saving someone else's? Ellie I thought we already went over this, you sav-"

"Saved you?! Great, really, great! But I had no choice. Even if I had walked away Marlene would still have been dead. The fireflies would have been ruined. A cure from them would have been impossible. I saved you, but in a way you saved yourself through me. You knew…you know…how much I care about you. You know I wouldn't have walked away from you, because you're the only person who didn't walk away from me. But just this once I have to choose to put my life on the line for my right to live it. All the fear I might feel, all the sacrifice I might make, I need it-"

Joel leaned in, his jaw almost quivering in frustration.

"Sacrifice? You have sacrificed enough Ellie! How about when you watched so many people die just to get you to a group of animals and crazies? When you marched across almost the whole god damned country with only a killer to keep you company?! When you left such a big chuck of your innocence at some burnt out ski lodge? You have already sacrificed enough for people, why can't you see that?" His words tumbled out of him, and his façade of toughness seemed to melt away as he felt fear at Ellie's plans. She shook her head sadly, like a teacher disappointed at their favorite student's inability to comprehend something.

"I need to sacrifice for myself Joel. No one else. Don't you see, by helping him I'm also helping myself. I'm doing the same thing you did for me. And would you have really let anyone stop you?"

His eyes filled with pain.

"After everything, now you want-"

"Joel…" She said quietly.

"To run off on some half assed-"

"Joel!" Her voice rose against his.

"Attempt at redemption? Ellie I can't belie-"

"Dad!"

He stopped mid-sentence. His heart rose and sank at the same time, partly because he had waited so long to hear that name, and partly because it was only said right before he stood a good chance of losing her. Ellie looked him in the eyes, her defiance gone and only an honest, resolute light in its place.

"I saved you. I know. And you saved me. But shit, I have to save myself too, prove to myself that I can actually wake up one day and say 'hey world, I've fucking earned my spot here. I'm alive, and that's perfectly fine.' You didn't let me be the cure for humanity, but I need to be the cure for him."

He had backed up against the wall when she called him dad. Ellie stared him down, a small nagging guilt building in her head at having to use that particular name to stop him in his tracks. He had never looked so weak. His mouth opened, and words seemed to stumble out.

"Ellie I…I need you – I need a-"

"A what Joel? A dream or a daughter? Because if you want a dream where everything goes exactly to your plan then you're going to be disappointed. But if you want a daughter, a girl who wakes up every day and smiles at the fact that you're in her life and care so much about her…then you've got one. Right here."

She paused to tap her chest slowly, walking around the table and standing in front of him before continuing.

"I've never said it before, but you're family. And not just family…you're my dad. _My dad_. I never thought I'd have one, but here you are. But dad, kids grown up. They've got to find their purpose. How can they do that if they're still trying to find a reason to be alive? Can't you see the difference? I've got no anger at living. I don't even have much guilt. But I need this closure. I need this validation, something beyond 'hey, some guy ripped you out of a hospital before a fatal surgery without even asking you because you became his daughter. Have fun, it's obviously for the best!' I. Need. This."

His reply was weak, and he slowly sank down to the floor.

"And what if you get hurt? What if you get killed?"

She gave a dark laugh, and sat down beside him.

"You have taught me everything you know. I can even swim now thanks to you. Play the guitar too, though you've still got to teach me some more songs. I've seen you take down bloaters and all sorts of people. I know everything you do. I'll be okay. I promise."

He looked over to her, and saw innocence mixed with love and a freighting level of maturity for a girl of only sixteen. He looked across the room, and took a deep breath before speaking.

"If I let you do this…you have got to promise me something."

She nodded, and he continued.

"If what you said is true, if you honestly see me as a father, then never call me Joel again. If I'm your dad, then you call me that."

Ellie sat down next to him, and ran a hand tiredly through her hair.

"You know I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel like I had to. This isn't a death wish. I will come back. I promise dad."

Joel Looked down at the ground, suddenly feeling old and tired. He shook his head.

"We've got a lot to talk about before this happens."

She laid a hand on his, her eyes open and honest.

"Alright, let's talk…"

* * *

The stables smelled of stale hay, and the few horses that occupied the stalls snorted in the chill air, their tales habitually swatting across their flanks. Sunlight dripped in from the opened windows and barn door, casting a tranquil haze throughout the cool room. The heavy scent of the horses mixed with the hay and grain, and it relaxed Ellie as she walked down the corridor, scanning the stalls for the ones she wanted. The stable-master followed behind, and huffed with indignation.

"You're lucky Joel has pull here, or no way in hell would I part with three horses for some damn teenage adventure."

Ellie stopped, and turned around to correct the man. She had persuaded Joel to convince Tommy to give them horses, but she had only asked for two. There must have been a mistake. She saw movement behind the stable-master, and a long shadow cast itself down the center of the aisle as a figure walked in. She blinked in surprise and walked past the confused man to address the shadow.

"I told you this was something we needed to do ourselves."

The shadow walked towards a stall, and swung the door aside to lead the horse inside, out.

"You can do it yourselves. I aim to make sure you get there and back in one piece."

A slight thud followed, as a worn and tattered backpack was dropped to the floor. Joel led his horse out of the stall, running a hand up and down its long neck before grabbing a saddle and slinging it across the beast's back. Ellie bit the inside of her lip, before exhaling sharply and walking towards him.

"Don't you think you're getting a little old for these kinds of things?"

He looked at her over his shoulder, before returning his attention to securing the saddle.

"Don't you think you're a little young?"

She looked away, and let out a short laugh, before nodding slightly.

"Touché. How far will you follow us?"

She knew what battles she could win. This wasn't one of them.

"To the edge of the city. You leave the horses with me, get into the city, do whatever it is you need to do, then get back out and we ride off."

She gave another slight nod, as the stable-master bustled past her with two other horses, saddles already fixed to them. They trotted past Ellie and she began to follow them, walking out into the bright morning, the sun bouncing off the freshly packed snow. It was a beautiful day. She shivered in the fresh air, and pulled her jacket tighter to her frame. Marcus approached her, and eyed the horses suspiciously.

"They don't bite, do they?"

She laughed, and shook her head, rolling her eyes at his worries. He chuckled, a slight note of nervousness in his voice, before muttering "Just checking," pulling his pack tighter to his back, before stooping over to scoop up her backpack and hand it to her. She put it on, and the familiar weight fell against her shoulders. She let out a silent sigh as it nestled against her back. The heft of her pack was like an old friend she hadn't seen in a while. It simply felt natural.

She started towards the other two horses, and Marcus fell into step behind her. She boosted up, and heard the horse snort as she situated herself on its back. She looked over to the stable-master, and out of the corner of her eye saw Marcus awkwardly sling himself up, gripping the saddle with white knuckles. Joel began to ride his horse towards the gate at a slow pace. The stable-master squinted up at her, still clearly annoyed at his charges being given away for such a silly thing.

"His name's Comanche." He then nodded towards Marcus's horse. "That one is Rocinante. Joel's is Traveler. Don't get my boy's killed, you hear?"

The man's eyes softened momentarily.

"These horses are all I got left anymore."

Ellie blinked, then nodded, gently commanding her horse forward to follow Joel, Marcus's horse trotting along in step with its friend. They cleared the gate, and nature enveloped them on either side of the trail. The gentle motion of the horse lulled her into a trance, and the town began to recede into the distance as myriad of thoughts swam through her head like the gentle snowflakes falling to earth around her.


	8. Chapter 8 - Outskirts

**A/N:**

Well, I'm happy to say that I'm now drafted up to the last chapter of this story (don't worry, there's still a good few chapters left before the end). I tried to put quite a bit of character interaction and development into the chapters from now till the end, so it would mean so much to me if you all left your comments and whatnot in the reviews. Absolutely anything is free game: what you thought of the plot, the characters, if im doing Ellie right or messing her up, what you think of my oc - anything and everything.

Excluding the prologue story I already have posted, (which in all honesty was planned to be the first chapter of this before I made it a one-shot) this is the first story I've ever written, and I'm more than eager to see what people have to say about it. Obviously no one's forcing you to review, and I won't hold my story hostage for reviews and such, but it makes my day to read what people thought. So please, don't be shy. If you even have a question about the plot or characters feel free to throw it up, and I'll answer you in a reply (promise not to spoil anything). A big thanks to everyone who has commented so far, you all rock.

* * *

Chapter 8

Outskirts

January 2035

She could feel the presence of the city in the distance. The wind seemed to blow colder, and the clouds above were grey and foreboding. An involuntary shiver ran through her spine as she got off her horse, leading it into a darkened and isolated loading dock at some abandoned shopping mall. A cold lump seemed to form at the pit of her stomach, and the air smelled of fear to her. She blinked, taking the split second to shut her freight away in some corner of her mind. Marcus needed her calm. She needed herself calm.

The gentle snowfall of Jackson had turned into a disgusting sleet as they closed in on Seattle, and she felt dirty and weary at the slush that dripped down her jacket like slime. Clenching her jaw she walked into the gloom of the loading dock, only a few shafts of sickly light bleeding in through torn sheets of roofing. The horses pawed at the broken concrete, restless and agitated. She heard Joel speaking to Marcus, his tone hushed and strained. This city was poison, even to him.

"You've got four days to do whatever it is you need to do here. After that, if we're not riding right back the way we came I'm going in after you two and dragging you out, your little errand finished or not. We clear?"

Marcus nodded, his eyes shadowed in the darkness. He cradled his rifle in his arms, and she barely noticed his fingers quivering as they clutched at the gun-metal.

"Four days. Got it. We'll be back with time to spare. I don't want to waste a damn second in this place. It feels like a graveyard."

She silently agreed. They hadn't seen a single sign of life for the last few miles they had traveled. This whole area felt like some kind of purgatory. Seattle was just across Lake Washington, and she could feel it gently scraping against her mind like a tree against a windowpane.

She shook her head in a vain attempt to quiet it. This was not the time to let a collection of scrap metal and broken glass scare her. It was just a city. She had to be brave. She had faced worse.

Marcus walked towards her and she turned on her heel and walked back out into the light. He stood next to her as Joel walked up behind them, and began to close the loading bay door with a chain. He paused when it had just passed his eyes, and he bent down slightly.

"Ellie."

She turned and met his gaze. His eyes told her he knew everything flying through her mind. He knew she was afraid. _Damn_.

"Yeah?"

His gaze softened, and he gave her a weak smile.

"Be safe baby girl." That named always seemed to sooth her in some strange way. Even in conditions like these it still touched a warm part of her heart. She nodded at him, thinking of turning away, before feeling a strange urge to say something, anything to him. She fished for words.

"I will. I'll be fine, I learned from the best Dad." She forced a smile, letting it falter slightly when she saw a glint of loneliness in Joel's eyes.

"Remember what you made me promise Ellie? That there'd be no more lies? Well that cuts both ways. Remember that."

She nodded, at a loss for words, and Joel stepped back, closing the shuttered door with a clang. It was just her and Marcus now. He lightly punched her in the arm.

"You ready for some sightseeing Ellie?" He wore a confident smile. If she didn't know him as well as she did she would have missed the nervousness in the corner of his eyes. She socked him back, and let a small smile form to mirror his.

"I just want to see this place fading into the distance. Let's get this over with."

They both turned west, and a sharp gust of air cut through them like so many tiny knives. She slowly laced her fingers in with his, and they began to walk.

* * *

After a time they headed south, detouring to avoiding the highway that ran across the lake. It was a straight shot into the city, and almost guaranteed to be infested with snipers. They hugged the lake, always keeping the body of water in sight as they headed down, the sun climbing above them. They were still walking long after it had hit its peak and began its descent below the horizon. Suddenly Marcus grabbed her and dragged her into the shadows, putting a finger to his lips for silence. The area around them seemed deserted. Just a long cracked road, filled with burnt out cars and decrepit buildings lining the pavement and sidewalks. She heard a gunshot, and the sound of a clicker screaming. They crept forwards, pausing as two men rounded a corner of a building and came into view.

One looked like he was military, or used to be. A helmet sat atop his head, the straps firmly in place. He wore a vest laden with home-made pouches, several magazines for his rifle shoved in among the mesh. His partner walked behind him, kitted out in the usual attire of hunters. The second man took verbal shots at the first as they walked into the street.

"You know you look fucking ridiculous with that helmet on. You some kinda wind up soldier? Left right left and all that bullshit? This isn't some action movie hotshot."

His partner shot him a glare.

"Yeah well this helmet has saved my ass plenty. You'd look more ridiculous with a bullet though your skull. Actually fuck that, you'd probably look better."

The two men laughed, before walking closer to Ellie and Marcus's hiding spot. He pulled her deeper into the shadows.

"Stay here." He whispered, before slipping out of sight.

The men continued to approach, their guns raised and ready despite their banter. The helmeted man stopped to look at something, and the second man continued to walk down the road, zigzagging between the husks of cars. She saw a flash of movement behind the first man. Marcus crept up behind him, before grabbing the lip of the man's helmet and violently ripping it backwards, at the same time driving his knee up towards his shoulders. The man's neck broke, and he gurgled as the air was forced out of his mouth from the suddenness. Marcus dragged the body behind a car and began to creep up on the first man. He motioned towards Ellie to make a distraction. She picked up a chunk of broken pavement and tossed it towards the rusted hood of a car. The thud rang out, and the man froze.

Marcus took a few steps closer to him, before the last remaining man wheeled around towards him. Ellie's blood seemed to freeze as the man pointed his pistol at Marcus, before she saw him react like lightning, slamming into the hunter and grabbing the arm holding the gun, wrapping a hand around the man's wrist and smashing the barrel of the pistol into his mouth. They both dropped to the ground with a muffled thump, and she saw them struggling. Marcus delivered a vicious head but to the man, and he screamed as his nose broke, the blood quickly pouring out and down his broken teeth. They wrestled for control of the pistol, but the wounded man would not lessen his grip. Marcus head butted him again, yanking his wrist and slamming the barrel into his chin, stunning the man just long enough that he could reposition the pistol under his chin. The hunter's eyes widened momentarily as he realized what was happening, and the beginnings of a scream bubbled up through his bloodied mouth as Marcus's finger pushed down on his, depressing the trigger and sending a bullet shattering out the roof of his head. Marcus rolled off the dead man, and brushed himself off, breathing heavily as the adrenaline coursed through him. The fight had lasted less than ten seconds. He looked at Ellie, panting and forcing a smile even though his eyes were wide and wild.

"I feel like I should say something witty…"

He walked back to her, leaning down to pick up his rifle, before turning and continuing the way they were headed. Ellie stood there dumbstruck for a moment, blinking several times before she jogged to catch up to him.

"What the hell was that?"

He looked at her as his pupils began to return to normal sizes, and his panting stopped.

"It's winning the kill them first game. I don't love it like I used to Ellie, but I know how to kill, and kill quickly. I almost wish I could say I didn't."

She walked beside him for a moment, before putting a hand on his shoulder and turning him to face her.

"You know killing him won't take away the hurt."

Her voice was quiet and soft, and she locked her eyes with his as she spoke.

He looked at her, his mouth seeming to move to form words the brain hadn't found. He shook his head slowly, as he formed the words like misshapen lumps.

"But maybe it'll stop any more hurt from happening. And I don't just mean for me."

He kept walking, and she trailed after him, scanning the area for any signs of more hunters. A shot rang out, and she could feel the air tear as the bullet flew between them. Marcus dove behind a car, pulling Ellie down with him. A larger group of hunters appeared out of a side street, howling and yelping war cries as they fired. Ellie readied her hunting rifle as she pushed against the rusted frame of the car. Marcus peaked out, and swore.

"There's too many of them. We've got to run."

She looked at him, her eyes wide with adrenaline as the bullets continued to ping around them, and the screaming got louder.

"Where the fuck can we run to?"

He peeked over again, quickly scanning the surroundings. Bullets flew past him, and he crouched back down, a plan forming in his eyes. He pulled a nail bomb out of his pack, and readied it. He grabbed her by the hand, turning to look her in the eyes.

"Ready?"

She nodded quickly.

"Ready."

He pulled the pin of the bomb with his teeth, spitting it out and ripping her up with him as they bolted from cover. They ran, and Marcus threw the nail bomb into the nearest hunter, letting it slam into his head and knock him down before exploding and showering the area with a red mist. The explosion startled the rest of the hunters, and they halted their advance just long enough for the pair to sprint off the road and between two dilapidated storefronts. Ellie could hear the shouts resume, and hear the men give chase. Marcus pulled her along even faster.

They zigzagged between buildings, running through allies and down side streets, the howls of the men echoing off the concrete and cinderblocks surrounding them. They ran and ran, bolting past a stadium and across a bridge. They veered west and sprinted madly in an attempt to put distance between them and the pack of men at their heels. A patch of green appeared in the overcast surroundings, and they ran towards it, trees and bushes taking the place of roads and signs as a small forest enveloped them. Ellie dropped to her knees, gasping for breath, and Marcus leaned against a tree and slid down it into a sitting position. They both panted, legs weak and shaky from running so hard for so long. The shouts of the men had faded into the distance, though they were nowhere near safe. Ellie rolled onto her back and stared at the darkening sky as she regained her breath.

"Fuck that was intense. Where the hell are we?"

Thoughts began to flick through her mind now that the adrenaline receded. The anxiety returned, and the cold knot in her stomach seemed to reform as she stared up at the now dark grey clouds. She involuntarily winced as a freezing drop of rain dropped through the canopy to splatter across her cheek. It began to rain lightly, the forest echoing with the thousands of droplets impacting against leaves. The wind blew sharply, and another chill rolled through her. Ellie rolled over and sat next to Marcus under a tree, silently watching him as he studied the map.

"I think we're here," he moved the map so she could see, tapping a dirty finger against a small splotch of green near a river, "Black River Forest."

He looked up at the sky, and blinked as a rain drop hit him square in the forehead. He cradled the map close, protecting it from the rain.

"We need to find a place to hole up for the night. This rain's only going to get worse, I can smell it."

As if in confirmation a bolt of lightning jumped across the clouds, and he let out a chuckle, shooting her a 'I told you so' glance. She pressed closer to him as the rain began to pick up, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They studied the map. She pointed to a grey splotch not far away, her finger shaking from the chill and rain.

"What's that?"

He looked closer, studying the faded print on the map.

"Westfield Southcenter...looks pretty big. I bet we can find a place to spend the night there."

"Won't it be crawling with hunters?"

He looked at her, and shrugged against her.

"Wont anywhere here? This place came alive in the worst way possible."

She exhaled sharply, and he held her tighter, brushing his lips against her cheek before standing up and offering her his hand.

"Let's get moving Ellie. The rain's getting heavy."


	9. Chapter 9 - Westfield

Chapter 9

Westfield

The mall loomed over them, foreboding and dark in the rapidly fading light. They skittered inside like rats into a hole, the rain now pouring down towards the earth. Inside it was silent, no sounds of life trickling back to them once they had dashed through the doors. They were soaked, and water pooled at their feet as they surveyed the area. The power was out, and leering posters and advertisements twisted all around them, eyes harsh and threatening. It was too risky to use a flashlight. Lightning cracked over the skylight, and the area around them was thrown into stark relief. Worn tile floor surrounded them, with dusty and decrepit shops lining the long walkway. There were several intersections, and Ellie assumed the rest of the mall was as loaded with stores as what she could see.

She walked several steps deeper inside, and a howl of wind rushed through the opened door, careening past Ellie and blowing her hair about. Marcus wrestled it shut, and the crash of rain was muffled to a cascade of thuds on the roof above. Their steps seemed to echo around them, the drops of water falling off their bodies crashing against the floor below. The noises were oppressive. Ellie turned to him. Her anxiety flared as she scanned the area behind him, with lightning flashing through the glass above the entrance.

"This place gives me the creeps."

He walked up to her, shrugging his shoulders and brushing water out of his hair.

"It's not so bad Ell."

A soft clank of metal echoed somewhere else in the mall, as something, somewhere was tipped over. A frigid draft wafted down the mall, and the stink of dust and disuse filled their nostrils. Marcus sniffed, and ran a hand across his tightly drawn lips.

"Fuck, never mind. Let's just find somewhere safe and preferably not so damn cold."

They moved forwards cautiously, taking a right and creeping down the corridor. They passed empty stores, rusted shelves and mildewed carpets still desperately trying to exude an air of middle-class sensibility. The image was macabre and haunting, and Ellie shivered both from the cold and from the quiet fear that had settled into some part of her brain. A huge department store opened up to their right, and she could see beds and twisted mannequins in the darkness. She pulled Marcus in, pushing him into a corner and dropping her voice to a whisper.

"Maybe we can find some blankets to help keep us warm. You go left, I'll go right. Be back here in ten."

She pushed away from him and he nodded in the gloom, silent moving past her and heading into the left side of the store.

She squinted in the darkness, and proceeded forwards. Plastic figures jumped out at her from the darkness, ragged designer clothes two decades old still clinging to their ruined frames. They seemed to sway as she walked forwards, hate and malice flickering in their empty, painted eyes at her intrusion. Emotions bubbled up inside her and she felt out-of-place and alone, an uninvited guest in the midst of a jeering crowd. The dead did not want their rest disturbed. She walked towards a mannequin, reaching a hand out to poke it in the forehead with a trembling finger. It moved, and its rusted base rocked and groaned at the disturbance. It settled, glaring at her, and she let another shiver creep through her body, quickly shuffling past the plastic facsimile of life, dropping her eyes in silent apology.

Her steeps softened as she walked onto worn down carpet. Tattered beds surrounded her, and in the darkness she could see a toppled shelf, dozens of thin plastic boxes reflecting the miniscule light. She bent down, brushing the dust off their labels and reading them. Bed sheets, dozens of colors and sizes. She found it ridiculous - had people before the outbreak really been given this much choice in something as unimportant as the color of their blankets? She bundled a few in her arms, moving back towards the entrance to wait for Marcus.

After a little while of waiting he reappeared, and motioned her to follow him. He walked into the shadows, and she followed, past rows and rows of ransacked shelves and cloths racks. They reached a broken down escalator, and he ascended with Ellie in tow. More mannequins surrounded them, arrayed in a semicircle around the escalator, all facing a particularly misshapen one in some silent parody of a ritual. Whoever had been here before certainly had a warped sense of humor. They brushed past the plastic blockade, and he led her to a smaller hallway at the back of the store. Tiny rooms branched off from the hall, each one no more than six or seven feet across, with a large, broken mirror attached to their walls. The store was dead silent, even the pouring rain and thunder above incapable of being heard. He pulled her into one of the rooms and shut the door.

"I think this is about as safe as it gets. It'll be our home for the night."

She nodded, and set down the bundles of sheets in her arms. She pulled one out, folding it again and again until it resembled a long pillow. She pulled another out and tossed it to the floor, spreading it out to form a satin groundsheet. A few more sheets as blankets and the improvised bed was complete. They dropped their gear in the corner, and they huddled close to each other as they shared a can of uncooked beans. Neither could find their voice, the silence so deafening it seemed sacrilegious to talk. Without a word Ellie rested her head against his shoulder, and he pulled her against him, turning to kiss her forehead as she breathed him in. They sat pressed together for what seemed like a lifetime, soaking in the silence and each other, before he carefully turned his head to see her asleep against him. He gently positioned her so she was lying in the 'bed', letting her head sink into the pillow as he pulled the blankets around her form. She rolled on her side and let out a quiet sigh, curling into a small ball.

Despite the situation and the oppressive darkness he couldn't help but smile down at her. He moved his hand, and gently brushed a lock of hair off her shut eyes. His mind began to wander. Where would life take her? Would she be safe? Would he be a part of it? All those questions seemed to swirl around his mind like snow flurries, and he fished for answers. If the third part was true then he would make damn sure the first two were. She deserved all the happiness she could get. And if it wasn't, he hoped she would find it elsewhere.

He had never realized how lonely he truly was until he met her. All the pain in her eyes when she had seen his bite mark flashed back, and his blood had run cold because it was as if he was looking in a mirror. They had been caught in a slow orbit before either of them had even realized it. He saw how desperately she wanted to help him. She was searching for her own kind of forgiveness. He intended to give it to her.

Ellie woke up, the gloom slightly mitigated by thin shafts of grey light poking from underneath the closed dressing-room door. She felt an odd weight against the back of her head, and she turned slightly to see Marcus's hand lightly pressed against her. He was asleep with his back against the wall and his head leaning against the rifle he clutched in his other hand. Even with the shallow breaths of someone deep asleep exhaustion seemed to flood his face, and she gently pushed herself up, shivering at the chill in the air once she was free of the covers.

She peeled his fingers off the rifle, taking it and leaning it against the chipped wall. With a cautious tenderness she guided him down to the floor. It was still early - she could give him another hour or so of sleep. Ellie made to stand up and stretch her stiff legs, but he rolled over, his head falling into her lap as he curled himself to her leg. She paused, looking down at his sleeping figure. He clung to her like a man holding on for dear life, one arm slung tightly around her, the other with his fingers half curled into her frayed pocket. It seemed absurd that someone who had killed so many could seem so feeble in their sleep. A curious thought pushed itself to the front of her mind. Was that what she looked like when she slept?

She leaned back, against the wall, running her fingers though his hair as he slept, feeling him occasionally twitch and grasp tighter as his body reacted to some dream. She reached over and draped a blanket across him, jerking back in surprise as he shuddered and twitched. It was probably a nightmare. He got them worse than she did. They had made a promise to each other that if one was having a nightmare the other had to wake them up. A promise is a promise Ellie thought, as she gently reached out a hand to stir him.

The world seemed to spin around him as he woke up. A groggy, hazy filter made the walls swim and pulse as his nightmare dropped away, and a familiar face seem foreign and twisted as it hovered above him. A drop of panic forced his hand to clench tighter against whatever he was holding, and he sat up, pushing into the corner of the room as he looked through blurry eyes at Ellie. His memories trickled back into him, and Marcus relaxed, his muscles unclenching as he took a deep breath. Ellie scooted to her knees, taking his hands in hers as she gently spoke to him.

"Hey, hey it's alright. It's okay. It was just a dream." Her voice was soft and soothing, a tone she would have considered impossible for her to have before she met him.

He pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her back and pushing his face into her neck. She was caught off guard – he was usually stoic about bad dreams, only staying awake long enough to grumble about it before falling back asleep. This must have been a bad one.

Ellie wrapped an arm around his neck, letting her fingers gently scratch up the back of his head as he held her. She whispered more things in his ear, as he seemed to try and melt into her. She felt the cold pierce him and he shivered against her. She carefully twisted, grasping the covers and pulling them around the both of them. They sat pressed against each other for another lifetime, his breath steady and warm against her skin. She continued to trail her fingers through his hair, and he gently kissed her neck, his stubble tickling her. She pulled away, framing his face with her hands. The last wisps of sleep left his eyes and he gave a small smile. He spoke quietly, his voice both faltering and earnest.

"Morning sunshine. What time is it?"

There was no mention of any nightmare.

She shrugged her shoulders, pushing back from him and standing up. Her legs were stiff, and the muscles stretched and ached.

"You got me. Let's find out."

Ellie cracked the door open as he stood up, picked his rifle from off the wall and moving to look past her shoulder. Grey light filtered through, bouncing off the whitewashed walls of the hallway. They walked down the ruined corridor, Marcus carefully scanning the store before walking out. It was early morning, and the silence from last night carried over. Not a thing seemed to stir. Ellie began to walk around, massaging her legs and stretching her arms. It was warmer out of the cramped dressing room, if only slightly. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening.

"Oh shit…"

She saw the semicircle of mannequins from the night before, all facing what she had thought was just one more fake body. It was the remains of some luckless soul, the legs hacked off, the stomach split open and the body wrapped tightly in plastic to keep the stench out. It was rammed onto an iron pole, crudely attached to a base. Its mouth hung open beneath the translucent covering, a final, endless scream seeming to echo from their cracked and decayed lips. The Firefly symbol had been carved into its forehead.

She looked at the mannequins holding their vigil. Nailed to the forehead of each one was a scrap of paper, each piece spelling out a different word.

We. Showed. Her. The. Light.

Marcus walked up behind her, and gently took her by the shoulders. He rubbed them, his thumbs pushing against her shoulder blades.

"Those were the people you were planning on dying for? Fuck Ellie, talk about poor life choices."

She shook her head, disappearing back into the dressing room, before reappearing with their gear. She tossed his pack to him as she shouldered her backpack.

"Let's get out of this place."

He hefted his pack up, and motioned for her to lead the way. She unbundled her hunting rifle and walked down the broken escalator, checking the area for any signs of life. What she could see was deserted. She walked towards the exit into the mall, hearing Marcus trail after her. The mannequins that had looked so threatening before now were husks, ashen and pathetic. She brushed past them, and reached the edge of the store, looking left and right before stepping out into the mall. A draft still blew down the corridor and her back arched in a shiver. Marcus walked past her, and headed right. The stores were burnt out, looted, and ruined. He stopped suddenly, and she bumped into him. He looked at her over his shoulder.

"Hey, didn't you say something about liking video games or whatever their called?"

She nodded, and he pointed at a store, the broken outlines of arcade cabinets lining its walls.

He walked towards it, throwing her a look back at her.

"Let's have a peak."

She shrugged and followed, stopping in front of the first machine, studying its worn face. He proceeded deeper into the store. Shattered consoles drifted past him, and he headed into the gloom of the back. One machine had a rough cover tossed over it, and he pulled it off, coughing in the dust. The sheet had helped it fare a little better. It was a fighting game. The name was faded off except for the last few letters – ombat - though there was an image on the side of the machine resembling a horse, or an odd lizard. Hadn't she said something about a fighting game? He looked back towards the front of the store.

"Hey Ell, get over here!"

She heard him call, and tore her gaze away from the machine she had been studying. She walked back to him, raising her eyebrows.

"You rang?"

He pointed at the machine.

"This the game you were talking about?"

She peered at it, before stepping back and shaking her head.

"Nah. It looks cool though."

His shoulders sagged slightly, and she grinned at him and patted him on the head.

"Hey, it's the thought that counts."

He chuckled, and she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. The shattered games loomed over them, and they turned around and headed out, continuing down the mall.

"Can you believe this place used to be packed with people?" She wondered out loud. "I mean really, just think about it. So many people, just living their own lives, not worrying everyday about getting shot or bitten…what a world. They must have been so peaceful."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Ellie anyone over thirty-five used to be one of these people living life here. You think you can call them peaceful anymore?"

She sighed, and looked down at the floor as they walked, seeing her shoes glide over the checkerboard pattern.

"Well what's that mean for us if we ever find peace?"

"I hope it means we can actually appreciate it this time."

She chewed her cheek, slipping deep in thought, and walked a little faster to be next to him. He shifted his rifle into his left hand, and wrapped his right arm around her. Their steps faintly echoed down around them. He looked to his left and his eyes widened.

"Holy shit."

She craned her neck to look past him, and saw another dilapidated store filled with mannequins. They were dressed in a very different kind of designer clothing. They stopped to gawk at the display. Ellie blushed slightly, and shook her head.

"People actually used to wear that sort of thing?"

Marcus laughed, "I don't think they're made for men Ell."

She walked towards the store, and he followed. She walked up to a mannequin, reaching out and running the fabric of what it was wearing between her fingers.

"Fuck it's so thin. And you can see right through it!"

Marcus cleared his throat.

"I…I think that's the point."

"What the hell does that do for anybody?"

He looked down, chuckling.

"Oh, it does stuff Ellie. Think about it."

She shook her head, stepping back to look the figure up and down.

"I'd look ridiculous in that."

Marcus laughed, looking at the mannequin, then at her.

"Ridiculous? Not the word I'd use actually."

She shot him a glance, and he raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

"Hey, just telling the truth. Let's uh…get out of here. We've got to get moving."

He began to walk away, and looked back a few seconds later to see her take a step away from the shop. The mannequin swayed as she walked away, the plastic glinting in the shallow light. An exit was nearby. Light bled through the glass, and they could see the ever-present grey clouds blanketing the sky. Marcus pushed the door open, and a cold wind cut into them. Ellie readied her rifle, and jogged outside to the nearest bit of cover.


	10. Chapter 10 - Ink

Chapter 10

Ink

They had walked and walked in the early morning light. The city jutted up from the ground directly in front of them, tall buildings of shattered glass and steel reaching skywards. The industrial parks had dropped away, and cracked roads and torn down signs seemed to user them deeper inside the concrete jungle. Their trip had gone unmolested so far, without a sight or sound of human or infected save for a few distant gunshots. They pushed into a hiding spot in the shadow of a building, and Marcus pulled out the map. He traced his finger along it, and looked around for any still standing signs to clue them in on their location.

"4th Avenue and South Jackson…Well we're in Seattle now, that's for sure."

Ellie leaned in to look.

"Okay, so we're in. Do you know where he is, or do we have to comb though this entire fucking place?"

"This place is known for the Space Needle, right? Well I know Erikson, and he has a flair for the dramatic and grandiose. He'll be there."

She shook her head.

"That seems cliché."

He gave a shrug.

"He's a man who likes a view. Hell, it's the best view in this city if the stories are true. If he isn't there, he'll be in the next tallest building."

She rolled her shoulders, situating her backpack, trying to get it sit comfortable on her back.

"Alright, so how do we get there?"

Their attention turned back to the map, and a route jumped out at them. She saw Marcus quickly cover a grey square with his thumb, and a glint appeared in his eyes.

"This'll do nicely. And we've got to make a slight detour. You'll like it, trust me."

He stood up, folding the map back into his pocket before peaking around the corner. A deserted street greeted him, though the gunshots were becoming more frequent. They began walking, hugging the sides of the buildings, presenting as small a set of targets as possible. Complacency killed. The buildings grew taller and taller, shadowing the streets with their presence.

Ruined husks of cars lined and crowded the streets, many with the decayed bodies of their owners still at the wheel. A ping sounded on the hood of one nearby, then another and another. The rain had begun again. _Great_, Ellie thought. As if she wasn't cold enough already.

At each intersection Marcus would dart across first, pushing himself against the wall of the next building and turning to cover Ellie. No one shot at them yet, though it was becoming disconcertingly obvious that they were not alone. She just hoped they weren't being watched. Gunfire echoed nearby, and Marcus pulled her down to the concrete as they heard a runner's shriek cut off. They could hear voices echo off the buildings.

"For Christ's sake, how many times do we have to say no headshots before you actually listen?"

"Hey man, that shit was trying to get chompy on me. I'm not dying for your fucking science project."

Marcus crawled towards a car, Ellie close behind, and the voices got even closer. The rain picked up, muffling the sounds of Marcus gently opening a rusted car door to hide inside. Ellie shut it behind her, and they peered through the cracked glass for the owners of the voices. The car smelled of rot and death. Neither of them was willing to look at what was in the front seat. Several men rounded the corner ahead. Two were in the dress of hunters, a wild matching and pairing of equipment clinging to their bodies. The third was different, and clearly in charge.

Worn boots and ragged fatigues framed the man, and a military vest complete with bullet proof plates clung snuggly to his body. He held a rifle in one hand, and a walkie-talkie in the other. Marcus seemed to prickle at the sight of him.

"Command, two-five here. Sweep of fourth and Columbia complete. One infected put down hard…yes, I realize we told them not to…no…yes command, put down permanently. Continuing sweep, heading to third. Out."

They began to walk, getting closer to the car as they crossed the intersection. Ellie cautiously watched them, studying the men intently. A tiny detail stood out to her on one of the hunters, and she bit her lip, a sudden anger welling up in her. The man had a Firefly insignia tattooed on the side of his neck. Marlene's face burned in her mind, and Ellie only felt a quiet shame at what the Fireflies had become. They used to stand for something. That trip across the country must have changed them. Hell, it had changed her.

The patrol moved on, Marcus and Elli remaining in the car for several minutes. He looked back at her.

"You see that tatt-'"

She cut him off, "Yeah."

He pushed open the door, and got out, turning around to lend her a hand. He spoke as he hauled her out into the rain.

"Well it looks like we both have some bad parts of our past here, doesn't it?"

She let him carefully drag her out, and she turned to force the door closed. The silhouette of two bodies occupied the front seats. The passenger clutched at something in its hands, wrapped in a bundle of blankets. The smell seemed to get worse, even through the closed-door. She stood in the freezing rain, staring at the blankets. Marcus studied their surrounding, turning back to see her still in the middle of the street, fixated on the bundle. He walked up behind her, putting his hands on the sides of her arms to steer her away. Her voice stopped him.

"What did they do to deserve whatever happened to them?"

She turned around and pointed at the car.

"Whoever these people were. What did they do to deserve dying in their car as they ran from the end of the world? What did that baby do to only deserve living a few months of life?"

He took her gently by the arms, not moving her, simply squeezing them gently.

"Ellie you're asking questions no one has the answer to. Life is nothing but why's anymore. Why'd they die? Why'd we ever get born? Why do _we_ deserve to live? Why, why, why. Why anything? You've got to make your own answers. You know, maybe the guy beat his wife. Maybe she was cheating on him. The kid…shit, maybe it was sick and dying anyway. Or maybe the world is just a scarier place then they ever thought, and it took the world falling down around us to remind us we're not really in control."

She looked down at the ground, then up at him, her eyes dark and thoughtful.

"Why do we deserve to live? What the fuck makes us so special that we get to stand here and wonder these things?"

The rain continued to pour down around them. Marcus shivered, Ellie didn't. She simply stared at him, her eyes searching for an answer.

"We…we were born into an angry world Ell. We've both done some shitty things in the name of survival. But, you know, that doesn't have to define us. I realized that. So maybe we're alive now to make sure everybody else stays that way too. Jackson – Joel, Tommy, Maria…holy shit I never thought a place like that could exist. After everything I'd like to think we were born so we can get one step further away from survival and one closer to living. We only have the purpose we give ourselves, or choose to accept."

She remained silent, and he spoke again.

"You're scared, aren't you?"

She finally shivered in the downpour, shooting a glance back at the car.

"I'm alive. That doesn't bother me. But what the hell do I do with it? I'm alive but I don't know what to live for."

"You live for yourself, for the people who matter to you, the dreams you've got. Shit Ellie…you survive today and live for tomorrow. What else can you do?"

She chewed her lip, running a hand though her soaked hair. Strands stuck to her face, winding down like small cracks on a weathered statue.

"The Fireflies lived for tomorrow, for a dream. Now look at them. No better than anyone else. Maybe even worse."

"Yeah but it's about how you go about it. I could say the same damn thing about where I came from. They only wanted peace. They just chose war as their way to get it. Look, dreams are what you make of them. And how you go about them matters. Shit Ellie, that's like me saying I love you, so I'm just going to kill you so I never have to worry about losing your love. See how fucked that is? They saw that dream, and decided 'hey, let's save people. But we got to save them our way, and anyone who doesn't like that way is obviously the enemy. Live and let live? Fuck that, they live our way.'"

He gently laid a hand on her cheek, moving some of the strands of hair out of her eyes as he gently pulled her with his other hand.

"C'mon Ell. We've still got that detour to see before things get heavy."

He gave her a weak smile, leading her away from the car. They moved from intersection to intersection, Ellie letting him lead her by the hand as they darted across the open, lifeless areas. He stopped her, pushing her into the shadows, wearing a smile.

"We're almost here. Fuck I hope it's in one piece still."

She raised her eyebrows.

"What? What in the world do you have to show me?"

"It's not what it is, it's what's inside. And it's a surprise. Once we get there close your eyes. I'll carry you in."

She shrugged, tossing her hands up in bemusement. He got like that sometimes. She motioned for him to lead on, and he scanned the area before dragging her out of cover. The building was impressive. Glass and steel wove together at inspiring angles, far removed from the barren rectangles of skyscrapers that walled them in. Panes of glass were broken here and there, though the building forcefully clung to its modernist dignity. She had never seen something like it before. He turned to her, his smiled widening as she stared up at the structure.

"Eyes. Close 'em. "

She obliged, and she felt herself be hefted up, one hand on her back, the other behind her knees. She reflexively wrapped and arm around his neck, and felt him move forwards. They bumped into something, and she felt him twist and grab at something. A door opened, and the feeling of rain dropped away as they walked inside. She could hear the drum of the weather on the glass roof, though miraculously it had remained intact throughout the years. He set her down on the floor, telling her to keep her eyes shut, he'd be right back. She heard his steps echo as he walked away, followed by a thud and grunt, and the sound of something being dragged. She was hefted up again, and found herself being dropped into a chair, the fabric soaking itself in the water that clung to her frame. He walked behind her, and covered her eyes with his hands.

"You ready Ellie?"

She couldn't help but giggle at his build up.

"Yeah, yeah Romeo, let me see already."

She felt him kiss the back of her head, whispering "this one's for you baby."

* * *

The hands moved, and her eyes widened and her mouth opened. She saw the shelves a few floors above. Books. Hundreds and hundreds of books. She looked around the grey lit interior, taking in the feel of the building, and her spirits seemed to soar. _Books!_ Marcus walked in front of her, causally throwing his arms out, grandstanding.

"I had a hunch that the last thing people would care about when the world ended was books." He looked at her, seeing her eyes take in everything. He smiled wide at her, laughing, "I've never been happier to be right."

She pushed herself up, and walked towards the stairs. He followed, and they climbed till they reached a floor with shelves upon shelves of dusty, lonely books, hallowed in the grey, antiseptic light. She began to walk down an aisle, her head spinning. She turned to him, her cheeks flushed, and he laughed as she simply shook her head.

"How…why?"

He walked towards her, taking her hands in his. A thoughtful look entered his eyes.

"Because I love you Ell. You were crazy enough to want to follow me in on this thing. Why wouldn't I try to make you happy along the way. And it worked – someone left their doom and gloom at the door."

All she could do was shake her head in disbelief, and he laughed again.

"Holy cow…this is…I don't even know. Did you know about this place earlier?"

He shook his head, leaning against the edge of a shelf.

"Nah. That's what maps are for. Good thing I noticed it. Look around, find some that you like. The way I see it, better we take them and read them then let some hunter walk through that's low on toilet paper. That'd just be sad."

Ellie turned in a small circle, still taking it all in. She had never seen so many books before. She felt like a complete child. She looked back at Marcus, and saw him moving his hands, shooing her away, mouthing "go on." He turned and walked down the stairs, concealing himself in the cold stairwell to guard the entrance. She had the books to herself.

"Now where to start?" She breathed, taking a few steps down the aisle, her eyes darting from dusty spine to spine.

Her mind was still reeling. She had scrounged and stolen books her whole life, never having more than a few at any time. She had felt like the luckiest girl in Jackson to have a meager stack of a half-dozen books, not counting her comics. And now…now there were more books then she would ever be able to read. Or carry back, for that matter. Her brow furrowed. How many could she cram into her backpack? She began to jog up and down the aisles, names flashing past.

_Asimov, Alighieri, Bradbury, Dostoevsky, Heller, Huxley, Sagan…_

Names upon names raced past her. She ran quicker and quicker, up and down each aisle, a wondrous smile splayed across her lips. She reached the end, and collapsed in a chair, breathless from the excitement. Books were another world to her. Marcus had just given her the universe.

She let out a silent laugh, standing back up and beginning to walk back down the aisles, pulling out book after book that caught her eye. The pile would grow higher and higher in her arm, and each time it became too hard to add more to the stack she would return to the chair, placing the stacks around it. She would pile up anything that looked interesting, and process of elimination would decide what she actually took. History, sci-fi, spy novels, every genre was at her fingertips. She continued to cruise up and down the shelves, her legs on autopilot as her hands shot out, seemingly at their own command, to snatch a book off the shelves. She returned yet another pile to the chair, walking back to where she had left off. Her hand shot out to grab another book, and she thumbed it open to a random page, quickly turning it over to glance at the title before reading from it. Her mouth moved to silently form the words.

"Fifty shades of…._Whoa Nelly. _Hello there_." _She reflexively giggled, her eyes darting across the words, blushing as she read. Now that was some intense stuff. She looked left, then right, self-consciously checking to make sure she was alone. The book was tossed into the pile cradled in her other arm. Worst case is she could read it and giggle till her stomach hurt. Best case…she giggled more. Can't teach an old dog new tricks. Good thing she wasn't old.

Ellie tried to pick out books both her and Marcus could enjoy, save for a few here and there that he wouldn't want anything to do with. His loss, she thought. She wandered back to the chair, now resembling a miniature fortress of books. She sat down, picking each one up and sorting them into piles of things she wanted to read, and things she _really_ wanted to read. She got up, and walked towards the librarian's desk. She needed something to put them in, or they'd just get soaked ten minutes after she stepped outside. She searched the drawers. A large plastic bag stood out at her. _Jackpot_.

She began pushing book after book into the bag, filing it as much as she could before tying it closed and forcing it into her backpack. It fit, but only just. That was fine by her. She collapsed in the chair, closing her eyes and letting the library soak into her. She breathed deep, the scent of ink and pages standing out to her. Her mind continued to uncoil, and she felt centered. Her body followed suit, her muscles relaxing at some unknown command, and she sunk into the chair, drifting off into a peaceful nap.

* * *

The dream drifted past her like a soft cloud painted amongst the sky. She heard Joel's voice, the rhythmic drawl comforting.

_Ellie. _The rhythm still resembled a grandfather clock ticking.

_Ellie._ Again, she began to feel so very tired. She was pillowed among a bed in a field, the sheets white and soft against her. A cool breeze flowed over her.

_Ellie._ She drifted off, the world comfortably falling away from her.

"Ellie." Her eyes opened, and Marcus was hunched next to her, gently shaking her by the shoulder. She stretched and yawned, and he smiled at her.

"Hey there sleepyhead. Enjoy the nap?"

She looked around her, the world still bathed in grey light. She stretched again as he stood up, and she pushed herself up in the chair.

"Shit, how long have I been out?"

A grin tugged at one side of his mouth, and he extended a hand to her, hauling her to her feet.

"Only an hour. Don't sweat it. You needed the nap from the looks of thing. Feel better?"

She nodded, gently grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and pulling herself towards him. She pressed her lips against his, holding the kiss long enough for his arms to wrap around her. She broke it, and pressed her head against his chest.

"Thank you. For this, all this. Thank you."

He gave a laugh, seemingly unsure of what to say. She felt him shift his weight from one foot to the other, and he pushed her far enough away so their eyes could meet. He smiled down at her, before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Anytime Ell."

He nodded towards the stairwell.

"Think you can watch the entrance for a minute. There's a book I want to grab while I'm here. I'll only be a few."

She nodded, picking up her backpack heavy with books, and moved down the steps, checking the action on her rifle as she sat down on the cold stairs, watching the door. She heard Marcus thumping around up above, and smiled to herself. Love was a crazy thing.

He returned a minute later, and she looked up at him.

"Find it?"

He smiled triumphantly, patting his zipped up backpack.

"Found it."

She grinned, her fingers tapping a lazy rhythm against the butt of her rifle. He walked past her, down into the lobby. He approached the door and opened it, the ever-present sounds of rain trickling in. She stood up and jogged down to him, and he opened the door wider, ushering her out.

"Ladies first."

She snickered, giving his arm a playful smack before taking a deep breath and preparing herself for the cold of the outside. She stepped over the threshold, and gunfire sounded in the distance. The safety of the library dropped away, and she slid her mental walls up, sheltering the glow of happiness the multitude of books had brought. This place wouldn't take that from her. Marcus brushed past her, taking the lead, turning his head to catch her eye before nodding in the direction they had to go. She rolled her shoulders, feeling the spines of the book press against her back, her fingers clutching the worn wood of her rifle. She followed him as he began to jog down the waterlogged street.

* * *

**A/N:**

So I've been struck by a case of the writer's block for the last chapter. Not so much a case of what I want to say as opposed to how I want to say it. I still have a few days worth of chapters to post, and hopefully inspiration will strike me soon and I can crank it out in one sitting, but I really want it to be as good as it can be. Keep those reviews, comments and favs/follows rolling in, they've given me quite a bit of motivation! As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	11. Chapter 11 - Clockwork Killer

**A/N:**

Well, I'm happy to say the last chapter is all drafted up. T'was lucky enough to get a burst of inspiration, and just sat down and typed it up. I know I made mention of this in the a/n of the first chapter, but the more I re-read of my story the more I would strongly recommend you to read the prequel I wrote. It's only one chapter long (well technically two, but the story is only in the first chapter,) but you'd be missing out on a few little continuities I've put in, which I feel really help to tie this story together. So check it out, it isn't a long read and should make this story that much better! It can conveniently be located from my profile, and is the one...well that isn't this one haha. There's only two there. For now!

* * *

Chapter 11

Clockwork killer

The patrols increased in frequency and size the closer they got to the needle. Teams of hunters and Fireflies led by Erikson's men swept the area constantly, searching for infected and any uninvited guests. The rain had eased up, and the air smelled of moss and asphalt. The progress was slow going. The patrols were crude, the hunters no better than feral attack dogs, but effective, preventing any straight shot to the Space Needle from becoming available. A clear perimeter had been established, and even the occasional vehicle trundled past, rifles pointed out of rolled down windows. Ellie's stomach growled and complained, and the cold knifed through her, but she pushed on by sheer adrenaline, her pupils dilating wide each time she would sink into cover to avoid the gaze of the guards. They had been forced to crawl from shadow to shadow, taking cover under cars, in the entrance ways of abandoned buildings, anywhere that concealed the two figures from the wrathful eyes of the patrols. This made Pittsburg look like a cakewalk.

The Needle slowly dragged itself above the tops of the buildings, becoming visible through the mist of the ended rainfall. Sporadic gunfire sounded around them, and barricades of rusted cars were dragged across the roads before them. The area had been turned into a fortress. Patrols streamed in and out of a broadcasting center nearby, and the grounds of the Space Needle were visible past the barricades. Marcus led her into a tall building to their right. It was deserted and ransacked, the walls of the stairwell they climbed graffitied with messages, curses, pleas, and bleak statements winding up floor after floor. It stank of urine. They stopped one floor below the roof, the door opening up to a decayed office setting. Moldy carpet covered the floor, ruined desks and chairs seemingly falling apart as the days had dragged on. The windows remained intact this high up, and papers and other office supplies were scattered about, looters having no use for pens and stationary. Marcus nodded.

"This'll do." He walked towards the window, dropping his gear and rifle on a desk. The vantage point gave a commanding view of the broadcasting station across the street, and the Space Needle down the road. The men moved around below like ants, swarming in and out of the center and around the Needle in a constant flurry of motion. There must have been a hundred bodies patrolling the area. He rapped his knuckles against the glass, slipping deep into thought. Old habits came back, and he began to plan and observe.

Ellie watched him curiously. She had never seen him like this before, so robotic and precise. He backed away from the window, turning to grab an ancient pen and weathered sheets of paper, before pressing them against the glass and sketching a map of the surrounding area. She saw him label streets, buildings, every possible landmark being assigned a name. He stalked back to his pack, pulling out a battered watch and his binoculars, before sitting down in front of the glass, the crude map at his side, the watch in hand and binoculars pressed against his eyes. He began to scan the area, and she saw his lips move silently as he mentally recorded all that went on below him. Every so often the watch would be dropped into his lap, and he would grab the pen and jot something down on the sketch. She saw crude arrows, seemingly random numbers, a jigsaw puzzle of information made for his eyes only. Ellie pressed her hands into her still damp pockets, and shifted from foot to foot.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Her voice was oddly unsure. Joel never planned like this. It was move silently and improvise every step of the way with him. This mechanical nature was out of her depth.

"No." His voice was cold and authoritarian, the words almost barked rather than spoken. She looked at him, and he seemed to seize up for a second, his eyes never leaving the binoculars, before he exhaled and spoke again, his tone softer and human. "No Ell. This is sort of a one person job unless you can talk the talk and know what to do. And I really hope you can't. Just…well hell I'm hungry, you're hungry, think you could cook us up some food? Cold beans really don't cut it. And before you think it, no, you're not playing maid here. We just need to eat. I've got stuff in my pack, maybe you want to find some dark corner in this place and make us an honest meal."

She slowly shrugged, and he reached back, dragging his pack next to him, and fishing out a few tightly sealed bags. Bouillon, some hard bread, dried meats and vegetables made up their contents. He fished a few canteens out, sloshing with water, and slid them over to her.

"Just cut everything up and stuff them in the canteens, then boil it all up and we can share some soup. It'll be the best meal we've had in days."

She gathered up the supplies, and walked back into the stairwell, travelling down a floor and attempting to open the door. It was jammed from the other side, and she swore to herself as she travelled down to the next level, putting her weight against the door and forcing it open with the groan of rusted hinges. She looked down and noticed a bit of tape attached to the door, the edge of a sheet of paper clinging to it. She thought nothing of it, and took a step in.

Far below, in a heap of scraps laid a piece of tattered paper, its edge missing, with the warning 'Don't open, infected inside.'

A maintenance corridor, black as night, opened before her. No windows, she thought, the perfect place to make a fire despite the obvious creepy factor. She clicked on her flashlight, walking further into the gloom. It was cold and industrial, a far cry from the once posh office space Marcus inhabited above her. Pipes ran along the walls, and numerous closets held long abandoned cleaning supplies. She found a relatively empty cubicle, ducking into it and dropping the canteens and food stuffs at her feet. She needed paper, and anything else that could burn. She turned around and began to scour the area. Newspapers, rolls of paper towels, and everything else that looked remotely flammable was tossed back into the room.

After a good size pile had been built up she sat down, crossed legged on the concrete floor and began to tear the containers open with her teeth. One bag was being stubborn, and wouldn't open. She reached for her switch blade, her fingers only grazing against the skin of her back. The one time she could have used it. She stood up, turning around to head back up and grab Marcus's survival knife. An odd breeze wafted towards her, and her skin prickled. Something felt wrong. She took a tentative step forwards, and peered around the corner. Nothing. Her imagination was playing tricks on her. She shook her head, chastising her rampant imagination and walked out, down the corridor and into the stair well. She darted up the stairs, and saw Marcus still at the window, in the same place he had been in. She walked over to him, waiting for him to turn to her. He was fixated. She cleared her throat. He still did not turn to her.

"Yeah Ellie? Soup ready?" His voice was distant, like a man in hypnosis. She was worried about him.

"No…I need a knife. Hey, are you alright?"

He simply grunted, and moved his leg towards her, the survival knife sticking out of his boot. She stood there for several seconds, unsure if he was going to move, before she bent down and pulled it out. Self-consciously she backed away, turning around and heading back into the stair well, her mind cloudy and confused by his change in character. She looked down at the serrated blade as she descended the steps, stopping at the maintenance floor and turning into the hallway, looking up from the dull metal in time to see a clicker throw itself at her.

* * *

She didn't even have time to scream. The creature bowled her over, and she reflexively curled her leg towards her chest, planting her foot on its abdomen and kicking it away. It clawed at her, and she twisted and screamed, its rotted nails just missing her cheek. It recovered and threw itself back towards her, knocking the knife out of her hands. She grabbed it by the throat, her muscles straining as she tried to keep its vicious bite away. It pushed, inhumanely strong, and she felt her arms give, her elbows pressing hard against the floor, the creature slipping through her fingers.

Adrenaline coursed like acid through her veins, and she screwed her eyes shut as she struggled with all her might. The creature jerked back, and she thought she had won, feeling a rush of air past her. She opened her eyes as the clicker fell back, letting out a gurgle and screech, and she saw Marcus leap over her, driving his knee down on the clicker's throat, crushing it as he rammed his trench knife into its ruptured skull. It quivered and sized up, its fingers clawing at air, and he pulled the blade out to drive it home again. It went limp, and slumped down.

He wheeled around to face Ellie, taking a long stride towards her and dropping down to a knee grabbed her by the shoulder, roughly manhandling her to check for injuries. She murmured his name, confused and scared. He didn't respond, flipping her over to check her back, and she repeated it quietly over and over, each time her voice becoming a little more pleading. He was like a stranger. She was rolled back over, panic seemed to grip her, and she felt so alone. She howled his name, her hand shooting out to grab his arm. He swayed, and she saw things clicking into place in his eyes. He blinked.

"Ellie…" His voice was filled with pain. She shook her head, her hand trembling against his arm.

"What the fuck Marcus? Just what the fuck?"

He backed away from her, stumbling over the fallen clicker and falling against the wall opposite her. His knife dropped to the ground with a clatter. Ellie remained where she was, freight still dancing in her eyes as she stared at his scrunched form.

She whispered her question again. "What the fuck Marcus?"

He looked over to her, his gaze weak. He couldn't look her in the eyes.

"I heard you scream. I ran to help and…and I saw you pinned. I thought it had gotten you. I felt afraid. I was rais…I was trained not to feel fear. If I did I shut it off. Seeing you like that, it all rushed back. And I went numb. Training, instinct - I can't tell the difference anymore." He buried his head in his arms, and his voice continued on, muffled and weary. "I'm so sorry Ellie. So, so sorry. Please don't be afraid of me."

She stared at him as he seemed to wither away. She weakly crawled to him, and his arms snaked around her, so cautions and gentle. He pulled her into him, and they sat in the gloom for some time, gently rocking as they comforted each other. Her fear ebbed away. He hadn't hurt her, not even scratched her, but it was like another person suddenly filled his body. He became a clockwork killer, all gears and motion for one purpose. She felt bottomless pity at what they had made him. She knew the real man inside. That wasn't him.

She pulled away from him, and he lowered his eyes. Her fingers ran through his hair, gently scratching, and he let out a shuddering breath. She spoke.

"Work with me here. Is that the person you want to be?"

His eyes shot up, a spike of agony burning bright.

"That's the person I've spent two years running from."

"Then what can we do to make sure that person doesn't exist?"

He took let out a low moan, his eyes flicking back and forth as he navigated the corridors of his mind. He let out a quiet laugh.

"Don't let me get afraid I guess."

She chuckled softly standing up and retrieving the two fallen knives.

"And how would we do that?"

He pushed himself to his feet, taking the knife she offered him, re-sheathing it back on his belt.

"Ell, the only person that can get me scared now is you. I love you, and the thought of losing that, or you, terrifies me."

She put her hands on the sides of his face, and looked at him right in the eyes.

"Would you really risk losing yourself just because of me?"

He blinked, and laid a hand on hers.

"Yes." His voice was quiet, but final. For some reason she found the answer surprising. His eyes glowed resolute. His mind had been made up. "You'd do the same for me. You know it."

She stepped back, her head spinning momentarily. A sad smile crept across her face. So similar, yet so different.

* * *

She had hauled the food and tinder back to the office, making a small cubicle out of desks and newspapers to hide the weak fire she prepared as the sun set. The water began to boil, and she dropped the meat, vegetables, and ripped up shards of bread into the canteens. A pleasant odor began to waft out of them, and she used a small bit of metal to stir the meals. She pulled off her jacket, using it to make a makeshift mitten so she could grasp the boiling containers, setting them on a desk to cool. She added fuel to the fire and laid her jacket and socks near the crackling flame, laying down near it and wrapping her body as close to the fire as she could. It was the only opportunity to really warm up, and she wasn't going to waste it.

Marcus remained by the window, continuing to study the patterns of movement as he had for hours. Only now he kept up a familiar tapping of his foot, the slow rhythm of the song he had walked in on Ellie singing back in Jackson. It felt a world away. He hummed the tune. The sun continued to dip below the horizon, its slow descent soothing. He looked back, and saw the canteens steaming onto of a desk, the flickering of the flame hidden by Ellie's make shift cubicle. He stood up, stretching, and walked over, ducking down and entering her makeshift cave with a soup in each hand. She was fast asleep around the fire, and he sat down, watching her chest rise and fall. He waved the soup under her nose, and her eyelids fluttered open, a drowsy grin forming.

"Jerk." She teased, lightly pushing him with her foot.

He set down his canteen and grabbed her foot, pressing his thumb right where he knew it tickled her the most. She arched her back and giggled madly, as he scrambled forwards, keeping his grip firm on her foot. She twisted and he jerked back, pulling her away from the fire. She laid back, quiet giggles still escaping her lips. She repeated the insult several times, and he picked up her jacket, laying it over her like a blanket. He sat down next to her, holding out the canteen to her. She took it, the hot metal soothing to her perpetually numb hands. He raised his, and flashed a grin.

"Cheers."

She lifted hers up, clanking it against his and they both downed a swig, the broth and other ingredients cascading over their tongues. Much better than cold beans. The warmth spread out from their stomachs, and they both smiled as they huddled around the concealed fire. She scooted next to him, nudging herself under his arm. A strange sense of contentment buzzed in her heart, and she drank the soup down, feeling it twist its way through her, easing her aches and pains and quieting her racing mind to a gentle babble. He laid her down, bundling up his jacket as a pillow, and told her to sleep. She closed her eyes, and heard him move back to the window. She paused, and held her breath. She heard the sounds of him situating himself, collecting the binoculars and watch. She waited more, and only relaxed when she heard the lazy rhythm of his boot against the windowpane.

* * *

The routes were plotted. Everything was recorded and collected. There would be no straight shot in. But a twisted and convoluted route stood out to him among the maze of patrols. They could do this. Getting out would be harder, but if he knew Erikson there was an escape plan waiting at the top of that spire. He walked over to Ellie, gently nudging her awake. She blinked sleepily at him, and he nodded his head towards the door. It was time. The moon was high in the sky, shining a faint white glow down to earth. The clouds rolled over, occasionally blotting out the silver orb, drenching the world in black.

He led her down the stairs, both of them quickly glancing down the maintenance hallway has they passed, half expecting some demon to jump out at them. Nothing broke the film of shadows. They reached the bottom, the moonlight leaking in to the lobby. Searchlights scanned the roads, and the sounds of men echoed across the distance. He looked over at her.

"You ready?"

"Ready."

They crouched, and ran into the silvered night. He led them left, right, a seemingly sporadic pattern of zigzags, dropping them into cover then ripping them up to dash across open ground. They followed on the heels of some patrols, just ahead of others, timing everything down to the second. The spire crept closer, and they breathlessly ran into its shadow. They slipped in unnoticed, pushing into the shadows of the lobby, and avoiding the weakly flickering lights. They skirted to the elevators, the doors languidly opening. They slipped in, hammering the door close button. Ellie moved to press up, but he stopped her.

"No, not yet. Let me go up first, I'll make sure it's safe."

She looked around her, expecting a trick or joke.

"Uh, hate to burst your bubble but we've only got one elevator."

He walked to the center of the elevator, and pressed against the ceiling with the palms of his hands. The hatch gave way, and he boosted himself up, reaching a hand down for her. She caught it and he pulled, whisking her up through the hatch and onto the roof. He dropped his pack and rifle, checking the ammo in his pistol before holstering it.

"I'll climb up, and then call the elevator. You stay up here till it starts to move, then drop down with all our stuff."

She blinked at his daring, craning her neck back to look up the shaft.

"You're really going to climb this?"

He shrugged.

"I've had worse ideas."

He didn't give her time to reply, hoisting himself up a cable, and beginning his ascent. He moved in rhythm, hauling his arms up to grasp, then bringing his feet up to dig into the cable, giving him just enough purchase to repeat the process. His arms began to burn as he climbed, and the ground dropped further and further away. He kept reminding himself that he had worse ideas. It didn't make the climb any easier. The minutes rolled by as he went further and further up, and he sighed with relief as two metal doors stood in front of him. He was sweating, even in the chill air. He readied himself, and carefully maneuvered onto the small lip of floor by the door, wedging his fingers in and pulling them open. It was deserted, or appeared to be. He crept in, pistol at the ready. He heard no movement, and hit the call button for the elevator. He crouched by the doors, waiting. They slid open, and he turned around to the barrel of a rifle pointed at him.

"Shit, sorry." Ellie whispered, lowering her rifle and stepping back. He found the situation almost comical, the barrel an inch away from his forehead just a second ago, her steely eyes blinking in surprise.

He shook his head, hefting his pack up and walking deeper into the gloom. The place had been a restaurant before the world went to hell. He heard a noise from the kitchen, and the two crept towards the door, peaking through to see a man hunched over a clicker, stabbing a syringe into it an injecting something. He whistled to himself as he worked, only stopping to whisper "that should keep you still for a bit."

Marcus felt his face flush, and he looked over at Ellie. Her gaze was strong and fixed. She nodded to him.

"Let's finish this." Her voice hardly wavered. If he didn't know her like he did he wouldn't have heard the fear. He nodded, and he pushed open the door, swapping his rifle for his pistol.

* * *

**A/N:**

And we draw near the home stretch! I hope you all enjoyed this one, I tried to put quite a bit of effort into the dialogue and descriptions, and came away quite pleased with it. As always, R&R! Next chapter should be up tomorrow.


	12. Chapter 12 - Death

Chapter 12

Death

The man was absorbed in his work, the makeshift lab filled with medical instruments and gurneys. He wore black fatigues, a butcher's smock covering his front. A surgical mask hung around his neck, and he continued to whistle an aimless tune as he turned towards the sink, washing his hands in preparation for something. His mind was far away, and he didn't hear the two approach from behind. His first clue was the cold metal of Marcus's pistol pressing against the back of his head.

"Turn around." Marcus hissed, and the man rolled his shoulders, turning his head to glare at him with narrow eyes. He turned around, his eyes only momentarily widening in surprise.

"You." His voice was rough from years of shouting. It was a voice that expected to be obeyed. His eyes were the color of polluted ice, stormy and grey. His head was shaved, and several scars wound their way around his craggy face. He exuded quiet violence.

"Of everyone in this little world, I never expected you. You've come here to kill me."

Ellie stood away from them, her eyes flicking back and forth from the two men. Ice seemed to leak from Erikson, and a boiling, barely contained anger hissed and steamed from Marcus.

She never saw where the blade came from, only noticing the glint of steel in the dim light as it rammed through the center of Marcus's left hand, which shot up to intercept it and prevent it from plunging into his neck. The pistol fell in slow motion to her, and his right hand traced up, grabbing Erikson's knife hand by the wrist, tearing it down at an angle, his left elbow crashing down and snapping the man's arm. He began to fall, Marcus catching him by the throat, pulling up his right leg and hammering the boot into the wounded man's knee. It too shattered, and a quiet grunt of pain escaped the doctor's lips, before his head was pushed into the filled sink.

Marcus held him under the water, watching the bubbles filter up. With a snarl he pulled him out, letting a gasp of air tear into the man's lungs before pushing him back under the water. The blade still remained lodged in his left hand. Blood cascaded off his fingertips, dripping across the floor in a frenzied pattern. The bubbles popped on top of the water. He was torturing him. Ellie's eyes widened.

"Marcus, just finish it!"

He lifted the man up and plunged him back down, her words unable to pierce the roar in his ears. She screamed.

"Marcus! Don't be a monster! Don't be like them!"

He ripped the man up, pulling him away from the sink and throwing him down. Erikson coughed and gasped, his one working hand clutching as his throat, attempting to clear his airway. Marcus swooped down and grabbed the pistol, seeming to tower over the fallen man, aiming the gun at his forehead. There were a million things the beaten man could do. Ellie never expected him to laugh. It was like broken thunder, deep and spiked. He coughed again, sucking air into his lungs.

"The perfect killer. I trained you well. You tried so hard to run away from everything, and yet here you are, still killing, and about to kill again. You can't quit it, can you?

Marcus's voice seethed.

"I am _not_ your murderer anymore."

Another laugh.

"Murderer, killer – it's all the same in this world. You ask all the people who begged for your mercy if they would have preferred you to kill them for their food instead of the land they tried to survive on. Death has no politics, no preferences. A kill is a kill. And you were growing up to be quite an impressive killer." He looked over at Ellie, and his gaze seemed to freeze her in place. "Do you know how many people this boy has killed? All the men, women and children that died on his orders alone? You never told her how you lost your earlobe, did you? Do you know we had our eyes on him because he was more brutal than any other child he was competing against?"

Marcus spit on him, eliciting only another laugh.

"Look at you. Who else but a killer could take a knife through their hand and have the instinct to break my arm instead of scream?"

Erikson stopped, biting his lip, fighting back the raging pain of his shattered limbs. He would not scream for his failure to hear. He looked back at the girl, a wicked smile tearing at his lips as he eyed her up and down.

"He would have tossed you to his mob if he had caught you. You would have been a toy, a little fucking wh…"

Marcus stepped on his shattered knee, his arm shaking from fury.

"You leave her out of this."

Erikson shook from the pain, the color draining from his face as he desperately tried to remain conscious.

"Why? No one is innocent in this world, or of any action. Tell me, what had all those newborns you burnt to death in the hospital ever do to you? We never could contain the fire you started when you ran away."

He stepped off the knee, and Erikson gasped, another cough tearing through his lungs. Marcus's voice was a whisper.

"What did you say?"

"I said you burnt down half the fucking hospital, and cooked all the infants sleeping peacefully in their cribs. But you didn't know that, did you?" He laughed again, and Ellie prayed that Marcus would just pull the trigger and finish things. "You're a killer with a higher body count than you realize. Do you see their faces when you sleep – all those people you've killed?"

A low, keening wail seemed to escape Marcus's lips, and he took a step back, the words hitting him harder than any blow. His eyes were wild, those of a man gripped by panic at his own actions. He kept mouthing _killer _over and over, letting it rise from silence to a frenzied yell. He pulled the hammer back on his pistol with his thumb.

"You made me that. You taught me to pull a trigger, _you_ trained me to feel _nothing_ when I killed. You did that…you did that on purpose! You made it so if I didn't kill I got whipped, beaten, tortured until I did. And when I slaughtered people…when I fucking killed like you wanted me to…that was the only time you ever said you were proud of me! You find me…you fucking walk out into this god forsaken world and find me a son who doesn't want to hear that from his father! I trusted you, and I loved you, and I did anything to show that. But I am not yours anymore, and I am going to make sure you _never_ hurt anyone ever again."

Ellie's world seemed to screech to a halt. _Father, son_ – Marcus had never said anything about that. Had he lied to her, deceived her the entire time when all she wanted was the truth? No, she thought, as she stared at his quivering figure. He had been lying to himself, running from a dirty secret all these years. He hated Erikson. He _was_ Erikson.

His father glared up at him, embers of anger flickering in his eyes. He tried to move his broken leg, wincing and snarling at the pain.

"You think I want a failure like you to have anything to do with me? You stopped being my son the day you stopped following orders. You would have been great. I saw it in you, before you decided to give in to such a pathetic thing like remorse. So many people died, and yet so many more lived because of what we did. Murder, kill, liquidate, exterminate, you can call it anything you want, but when our people can walk around the streets of our city that we built without fear, _that_ is all that matters. Us before them, and damn the rest. The world can burn, and it should, so that we may grow stronger. But you didn't care, you became a failure. A disgrace. A fucking mistake. Then you were bitten. And I tried to save you. _Save. You. _By at least letting your death mean something. And you were too disgusting to accept the last bit of love I had for you. So do it. Kill me. One. Last. Murder. Do what you were trained to do _Erikson_."

His finger tightened around the trigger, his arm shaking violently. His mind tore itself apart, morals fighting morals, wants and needs and hopes and dreams all colliding and annihilating each other. The finger loosened, tightened, again and again, his body paralyzed. The crumpled man beneath him laughed - a disgusting, hacking chortle at his son's pain.

"I thought I taught you that indecision killed."

A revolved appeared in his still working hand, snapping up as his finger squeezed the trigger.

* * *

A single shot reverberated around the room. His body went limp, weak, and collapsed to the ground, a gruesome wound through its forehead. It was over in an instant. Every thought, every emotion, all obliterated in the blink of an eye. He was dead, a victim of his own actions.

Time stopped for Ellie, screeching to a halt with the vicious sound of a needled ripped off a record. Blood pooled out of the ruined skull, seeping out in a disgustingly abstract pattern. He was dead.

The barrel of her hunting rifle smoked, her finger tight around the trigger, and the revolved slipped from Erikson's dead fingers, the crimson tide gentle ebbing around it.

The blood pooled around Marcus's boots. His arm still shook. His pistol felt so heavy. Lead. Dead weight. It fell out of his fingers, clattering to the floor, sending up flecks of red as it impacted. He took a step back, looking down at his hand, the fingers still curled to hold an imaginary weapon. He pulled his trigger finger once. Twice. Again and again, pulling at air, a vain attempt at nothing. Gravity seemed to ensnare him and he crashed to his knees, a broken man waiting for his beheading.

Ellie ran to him, her rifle clattering to the ground in her wake. She slipped on the blood, dropping to a knee as she bumped into him. He swayed like a scarecrow in a storm. His eyes were far, far away and she cried his name as she gently cradled his left hand with one arm, the other tracing up and down his cheek, begging him to come back to her. The blade was pulled out, blood flowing freely to add to the pool. It too fell to the floor, and she desperately held his dripping hand, her face buried in the crook of his neck, her fingers weakly shaking on the side of his face.

His right hand grabbed at her shoulder and she lifted her head, his eyes no longer empty. Boundless agony flew among his irises, reality trying to break him in two. She whispered his name over and over, like a clock striking the hour. She pulled his head against her quivering shoulder. His fingers dug into her through her jacket, and he screamed against her. It terrified her, but she held on, riding out the storm with him. He screamed till his lungs had nothing left, and the tearing agony subsided to a weak groan. She whispered things to him, anything and everything she could think of. She told him about her love, she told him her memories of their relationship, every little scrap of happiness she could find she threw at him.

They didn't see the clicker twitch as the paralysis wore off. They didn't see it crawl to its feet. It didn't need to make a sound. His shriek swam around its head, and instinct kicked in. The creature silently charged.

He drowned in the pain, hearing her cry his name over and over. He swam through his mind, desperately searching for the light of reality. Her cries echoed out like a lighthouse's beam, and he kicked his way through the tendrils of his regret.

His eyes focused, and he pulled his head away from her shoulder. He saw her smile at him, a pleading, desperate tear of her lips. A gruesome creature rose up behind her, and he threw her aside, his left arm flying up in protest.

Ellie heard the shriek as she hit the ground, and saw Marcus size up as the clicker tore at his arm. She reached out, her fingers tightening around his pistol, whipping it around and pulling the trigger again and again. Blood dripped from her fingers, and the gun was slick with red. The clicker dropped back, its chest collapsed from the bullets.

Marcus was on the ground next to her, clutching at his arm, fighting off shock. She scrambled up, her hands and clothes slick with red as she pulled him away from the blood and the death. She pulled him to a cabinet, leaning him against it as she ripped her backpack off, pushing past the books to clutch the first aid kit she had packed. His arm bleed, the skin gashed from a grizzly bite wound. She wrapped gauze around it and his hand, biting her lip to maintain composure. She left a bloody hand print on his jacket.

Her voice tore at the silence. "It's okay because you're immune…you're immune…it's okay."

It was desperate, pleading. A prayer in a forsaken world.

She jerked and fell back. His right hand clutched at her. A weak smile spread across his ashen face. He was back.

"Hey baby. Looks like all the loose ends are going to be tied up, huh?"

She gripped him by the collar shaking her head viciously.

"We're getting you out of here. Don't you even start to talk like that."

His voice was firm, and final.

"No. We're not. I'm going to make sure you get out. I'm not going anywhere for a while. I can hardly stay awake."

He closed his eyes, again battling shock. He was slowly losing. Despair crept into her, and she felt so alone. He gave her a gentle squeeze. That only made her feel worse.

"Why…why aren't we both going home?" Her voice was a whisper.

He shook his head, his jaw clenched. A resigned smile adorned his face.

"We both know there's no guarantee I'm immune. I can't trust you to pull the trigger if I turn. And I won't make Joel do it, only to have you hate him. He's your father. I'm staying here, and making sure you get out."

She weakly grabbed at him, and he caught her hand, running his thumb across her soft palm as he squeezed. He pushed her away.

"Somewhere in here is a device that'll look like a radio. Find it. Bring it here."

He knew his father's tricks. Time to make them work for him.

She stood up, backing away and searching. Her mind was blank. She refused to accept it. Scalpels, scissors, papers and computers littered the place…then a strange object, a small, thick antenna jutting up from it. How did he know this would be here? She picked it up, holding it in both hands as she glided back to him. She felt like a ghost, like she was slipping away into limbo. He smiled up at her, his eyes still showing his battle to stay awake.

"There's a good Ell." A soft chuckle. "Gimmie, and help me up."

She weakly bent down, and he pried the object out of her hands. She pulled on him and he rose to his feet, his legs unsteady. He had her walk back out into the restaurant, and the windows revealed the dead city around them. The men still moved like ants below them. One of the windows was missing, and a sharp wind blew in. He had her guide him to a table in front of it, easing him down onto a dusty chair. His head dipped, shooting back up as he fought for minutes. He took a deep breath, his tongue licking over cracked lips.

"I've got two things for you Ellie. Present number one…" He fumbled with the zipper to his backpack, before reaching in and pulling out a book. The cover was stained with blood, and he ripped it off. The pages blew in the wind, and he held it out to her.

"Take it. Please. This book…this book gave me back my conscience. Can't you see baby, it's my soul. Take it, take it and run. I'll find you if I can." She took it, the pages soft and worn to her touch. She held it against her chest.

"And for my second present…" He picked up the strange object, and held it in one hand. He nodded, his eyes tracing its plastic frame.

"An escape route. He always had a plan for everything. You remember how I said I'd gladly lose myself for you?"

She nodded, not understanding.

"Well, I had hoped he would be the last person I ever had to go out of my way to kill. But you're worth it Ellie. This one's for you." He squeezed the object, and the broadcasting center exploded. Men were flattened down below, and Erikson's men carried out his final orders, turning on the hunters and Fireflies, gunning them down to tie up loose ends. The mission was a failure if the explosives detonated. It was time to leave.

Marcus let out another quiet chuckle.

"He always had a plan. This place is gonna go up next Ellie. Go while you can. I'll follow when I can. If I can."

She dropped to her knees in front of him, hugging him. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, wiping away the blood on her cheek. He whispered in her ear.

"Don't fight me on this. Just go. Please. If you love me you'll go."

He pushed her away, and she slowly backed towards the elevator, palming the button, the doors sliding open. The light framed her, and he smiled at how beautiful she still managed to look. She backed into the elevator, the doors beginning to close. Her foot stopped the doors, and he met her eyes. She fished for words, her eyes unsure and piercing.

"You…you swear to me. Swear to me that you'll come home if you can."

He swallowed, his head swimming and dizzy.

"I swear."

She moved her foot, and the doors began to close. He heard her speak again, a quiet, mournful word.

"Okay."

They shut, and he saw the down arrow light up. He pulled his rifle onto the table, flicking the safety off and pointing it out the window. His left arm sat limp on the table, the skin – his blood, boiling like acid. He swore he could feel the cordyceps swim through his system. Marcus shouldered the rifle, chambering a round and taking aim at the distant figures. Spent casings began to pile up on the table as he fired, men crumpling below, silhouetted by the licking fire of the building. He peered through the scope, seeing Ellie bolt across the open area, the book still clutched to her chest as she ran. He watched her run and run, and a whispered thought bubbled through his lips.

"I love you."

He pushed away from the table, weakly dragging his gun and backpack towards the elevator. He hit the call button, the world starting to turn black around him. Not much longer, he thought. His whole body burned, and he felt his fingers unclenching as he lost control of his limbs. The door opened and he fell in, feebly reaching up to hit the down button. The doors closed with a mechanical ding, and the elevator began to descend. It slowed to a stop on the ground floor. He felt a rumble above, as Erikson's lab detonated. He always had a plan.

The doors dinged open once again, wild flames dancing in the parking lot outside. Secondary explosions sounded, the spire shaking even more. He didn't feel it. He didn't feel anything. The world was black, his body pain, and he stopped fighting it.

* * *

She ran and ran, the streets empty and the wind howling through the abandoned city. Tears streaked down her face, desperation giving strength to her tired body. Her backpack bounced against her, the books seeming to pierce her like tiny spear tips, and her arms wrapped tighter around his book. She ran and ran, her fear, crushing loneliness, taking flight at her heels, barking and snapping at her. The book seemed to burn against her. His soul. It burned into her, the imagined pain searing - excruciating. She tightened her grip. Nothing would make her drop it. She ran past the point of exhaustion, longer and further than she would have believed. She ran for hours, her feet bouncing off the concrete, bounding over barriers. No one stopped her.

* * *

Joel nursed the small fire he had made in the loading dock. The horses clumped together in the corner, huddled for warmth. Anxiety crept through him. He should have never let her run off like that. His baby girl might get hurt. So many times he had almost set out after her, the only thing keeping him rooted where he was the promise he made to her to let her see things through. His foot restlessly tapped against the ground. If he followed her she'd never forgive him. If he didn't she might die. There was no right answer.

He loved her, and that's what paralyzed him. He couldn't live without her. But he couldn't live with her if he denied her this chance. He prayed to a god he didn't believe in anymore that she'd come back.

Something slammed against the door, and he shot up, pistol in hand as he moved to open it.

Ellie fell over the threshold, her body giving up, and tears streaking down her face. She fell into his arms, and he cradled her weak body, running his hands through her dirty hair, whispering her name, before dragging her inside and closing the door.

Fear gripped him. She was covered in blood.

"Oh god, Ellie. No, no, no baby-girl." He laid her down, pulling his jacket off and using it to blanket her shivering figure, taking the sleeve to wipe the blood away. Her voice rattled out like death.

"It's not mine…"

Her tears continued to leak out, dripping down her cheek, sweeping dirt and blood away, painting soft stripes of skin against a dirty background.

Joel said her name, his voice breaking and pleading, but she didn't respond. He held her close to him, gently running his hands through her hair and rocking her as she fell into a comfortable numbness. Tears continued to slip out of her shut eyes even after the sun had begun to rise. Her pain became his pain, and he held her tight.

He closed his eyes, shuddering at her crumpled form. She seemed like a twig in a storm – a bottle thrown into an ocean. He pulled her closer to him, and with broken and jarring rhythm began to sing to her. The tone picked up, and he screwed his eyes shut tighter as he put himself wholly into the words he sang.

"Do you wonder why we live and why we die?"

"Do you wonder why we laugh and why we cry?"

"Do you wonder why we dance and why we fall?"

"Tell me darlin', do you wonder these at all?"

"Tell me darlin', do you wonder these at all…"

* * *

The city began to fade into the distance, nothing more than a grey stain on the horizon. The horses were lashed together, the two behind following the one in the lead. Joel sat in the saddle, and felt Ellie wrap her arms tighter around him, clinging to him like a lifeline. She had made them wait a whole day in that godforsaken loading dock, after she had woken up. He had watcher her as she watched the door, her eyes raw and pleading for some sign of her love. One didn't come. He didn't come.

She seemed to retreat inside herself, the light in her eyes fading to gentle, dying embers, her razor sharp wit dulled to a monotone. She didn't try and fight him when he picked her up and placed her on the horse. That worried him the most. Her fight had vanished. She had only clung to him when he mounted the horse and began their trot, her head twisted back to watch the city recede behind her, still hoping against hope for a miracle. The further the city got, the more tired and leaden her limbs and mind became. She felt so old, and only wanted to sleep and sleep. A dark, ebbing exhaustion took her, and she fell into a nightmare. Joel didn't feel her twitch or shake over the gentle trotting of the horses. He only felt her latch on to him, the one thing left she cared about.

Joel didn't know what to do, or how to feel. He locked his emotions away, focused instead on putting the distance between them and the disgusting black pillar of smoke that still rose from the broadcasting center and spire. All he knew was that his little Ellie was hurt. And he had no idea how to make it right. This wasn't a cut, or a scrape or even a bullet wound. This, whatever this was, tore at her soul, and devoured it like a predator. He felt powerless against its assault on his daughter's mind. There were only two thoughts swimming inside the dark pool of his mind. Just how much had his baby-girl left in that damned city, and if this was really the peace she was looking for? If so, some traitorous part of him chattered, she'd have been better off dead. He laid his hand on hers as it warped around him, and bartered with fate that she could find both peace and happiness.

* * *

**A/N:**

For those wondering, the song he sang is Tell me true, by Sarah Jarosz. And it was asked if I made a walking dead reference. I have literally never watched that show or read the comics, so no. But I googled it, and it would seem that I did indeed make a unintentional reference. Which is actually kind of cool. As always, R&R folks, the next chapter should be up tomorrow.


	13. Chapter 13 - Ghosts

Chapter 13

Ghosts

April 2035

The warehouse was silent, and dipped in shadow as the sun set. The town was hushed, the falling light driving families back into their homes to spend time with loved ones. The pages felt so cold against her fingers. Ellie's eyes flicked over the words, though she had practically memorized the book. She saw his face flash in her mind with each new sentence. She hated that she still loved to see his face in those fleeting moments. It almost made the pain worth it. He hadn't lied about it being his soul. Perhaps it was some small comfort that she still held onto his essence.

It had been three months since they rode away. Three months of something like civilization, three months of torturous living. Three months of coming to terms with the fact that she had gotten exactly what she wanted.

The pages turned, and timed dragged on. Her guilt was gone. No one told her it would be replaced by agony. She had found her purpose, existed outside of Joel's shadow. In a way she had become him. She understood so much more now. Why he saved her, why he sacrificed so much for her. He was right - she would have done the same. She had, but not for him. Funny how it all ended with a single defiant choice, and a promise made that almost certainly couldn't be kept.

Her days passed in a sullen haze, her mind seeming both desolate and crowded. Thoughts seemed to blink into existence, then disappearing with a taunting whisper, robbing her of any semblance of peace of mind. Her skin felt raw, and she yearned to be free of her pain. Everything simply felt wrong. She saw the way Joel looked at her, his eyes filled with sympathy and restraint at not forcing her to talk about it. Some small part of her still remained aware enough of the world around her to silently thank him for that. Talking would only make it worse. Talking only made _his _face burn even brighter in her scarred mind. He was haunting her. It was better than not being there at all.

The crow's nest had become her escape. Fitting that where their journey had all begun was now where she tried to end it.

High up, next to her small figure was a meager stack of books. They used to be his, Ellie moving them to her small place of solitude as soon as she stumbled upon them piled up by her bed. She remembered him sneaking away for a moment before they had left, something piled up in his arms. Every minute she could she spent reading and re-reading them. From the minute her work was finished until the setting sun took away her light. They reminded her of him, they smelled like him, and she swore she could even hear his voice reading along with her sometimes. The books were the only thing that didn't make her miss him so much her heart ached with each beat.

Was this what it felt like to live? Or was this simply another struggle for survival, where she had to cling to some desperate idea to simply exist from day to day? She couldn't tell the difference. Everything seemed to swarm her, and nothing made sense. It was all a fog, a tidal wave, and she desperately hid behind her walls. The only comfort was the books.

She used to constantly watch the road, hoping and dreaming he would come back. She had abandoned that fantasy. It was only adding to her pain. No, she thought, he was gone, and all that was left were his memories. So she read his books, read his soul, and remembered how he had lived, how they had met, and the time they had shared. She hoped the pain would be temporary. She intended to keep the memories forever.

Life frightened her now, where before it only perplexed her. It seemed so bleak and so fragile. That all the dreams and hopes of someone could be snuffed out so quickly and so absolutely chilled her soul. But yet slowly, surely she fought the urge to let it all slip away. It is what he would have wanted. It was her quiet promise to him. She would struggle to survive – fight to live.

She curled into a ball on the worn mat, angling the pages to catch the fleeting light. She forced her mind to focus on the words, relishing the scant moments when they seemed to morph and shift into his face, the smile honest and pained. Unconsciously her eyes flicked out to the path, and the forest. She swore it was haunted now. Specters seemed to slip between the trees, winding up and down the paths she used to walk with him. She returned her attention to the book, her eyes stopping on the words that impacted her the most. The ghosts danced in the woods for her, and she raised her eyes one more time. They bounded and leapt towards the road as they always did, and she screwed her eyes shut in raw agony.

It was all just a cruel joke. It had to be.

Far below and away something moved, and a stained white flag was hoisted into the air on the barrel of a rifle.

It was all just a cruel joke.

A tear forced itself out from between shut eyelids, falling down with resigned grace to impact against the book. The words hummed as the water sunk in, staining his first lesson to her, which had been his soul's first lesson to him: Live forever, or die in the attempt. She realized that she had overcomplicated it. His lesson to her had simply been to live. The white flag swam in the light breeze as the figured started to move towards the town.

* * *

Two figured sat pressed together in darkness, the trees and forest enveloping them. The ghosts danced and celebrated around them, joyous at their release. The air smelled of coming rain, heavy and thick. Voices were hushed to a whisper. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"What if we're the only ones?"

"I doubt we are. The world's a big place."

"But what if we are?"

"Well it still wouldn't matter. Whether we're the first of us, or the last of us, as long as it's an us – not an I or a you, - it just doesn't matter."

"So where do we go from here? What happens now?"

"Now…well, I wanted to start a new chapter. But the more I think about it, the more I'd rather just write a new book with you. How's that sound?"

By way of an answer one figured leaned in, kissing the other. A quiet, exhausted laugh echoed through the leaves, and the ghosts stopped and bowed their heads as the battered figures rose as one, and began to walk out of the woods. One by one the specters faded out of existence. There was no need for ghosts of those still living.

* * *

**A/N:**

UPDATE: So, I think in some respects I dropped the ball at the very end. Everything's clear to the person who dreams it up, right? I''ve been getting questions about if he surves or not. Marcus survived, and returned to Jackson. I apologize for any confusion, and perhaps if you read it with that knowledge in mind the ending will make a lot more sense. Hope that didn't ruin the story for anyone.

Alright ladies and gents, here's one hell of a word from the author. It's long, but trust me if you liked this story you're going to want to read it all.

As far as this chapter is concerned, I am so happy it's finished. I had written and rewritten it so many times it's not even funny. I really had no idea how to convey what I wanted. Good thing inspiration struck. I have no idea what prompted it, but I'm incredibly pleased with this chapter despite its shortness.

Well, there it is. The conclusion to my very first story! I know I've been squawking ever few chapters about leaving comments and reviews, but I would ask that if you've read this far and have enjoyed it to please take a minute and let me know. I was actually nervous as hell posting this story, and I can't even describe how awesome it is to see people reading it and enjoying it. With that being said, I want to thank everyone that has already reviewed, or faved/followed. Big shout out to BlueSky509 for reviewing every chapter, you've got my sincere thanks. I also want to thank Michael7123 and Dorkzilla for their multiple reviews. Everyone who reviewed rocks, but you guys showed an awesome bit of commitment to my story to leave more than one review. So for that you have my thanks!

Now that I've finished my story I'm also up for reviewing anyone who wants me to take a look at their TLOU fics. I avoided reading any while I wrote this because I wanted to be as original as possible, but now that I'm done I'd be happy to give my opinion on anyone's work, if you think my writing was good enough to warrant actually wanting to know what I think haha.

Think this story was great? Well guess what, ITS NOT OVER! I can't make any solid promises about an actual sequel due to college resuming soon (though I do have the beginnings of a rough draft of one, and I really, _really_ want to write it,) but I do have many short fluff-filled stories and drabbles I'm going to post, right here in this story as seperate chapters. So far I have about eight written up, and ideas for about ten more. I'll write them till I either dont want to, run out of Ideas, or really start writting the sequal.

They'll focus on little moments I've dreamed up in my head about what happens after the main story, and in some cases will take a look at some of the characters before the story starts (like Marcus for example. I have a _very_ dark short of him already written, if you were curious about what kind of a person he was before he walked away from his old life.) Each story will have its own rating, along with a description of why it has that rating (in case there's topics you don't want to read about), and its own small summary. I have to admit, I'm tired of writing them being miserable and near death for the time being, so many of these stories are much lighter, some romantic, some funny, and some are fairly sexual (though I will not do any play-by-play erotic novel stuff. I'm just focusing on the fact that they are teenagers, and they are very much into each other, hence _things_ happen.) If content of that nature bothers you then please don't read them, I will clearly list which ones involve sexual material. Obviously those will be rated M.

Other than that I hope you enjoyed this story. In an ironic twist I wrote it to help ease the backlash of the attachment I formed to Ellie and Joel from the game, and now I find myself even more attached to them, as well as Marcus. They've all grown on me, and if time permits I certainly will be writing a sequel.

So a big thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the fluffiness to commence! The first one should drop tomorrow as usual. Or mabey Ill go ahead and post it later today if you all are chomping at the bit for more.


	14. Short 1 - A Rainy Day

**A/N:**

And here we are, the first of my (mostly) fluff-filled drabbles and short stories.

I just want to take a moment and explain how this will work, and I'll end up copying/pasting this part to each of my stories, just to make sure no one reads anything they don't want to. Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

That should be all there is to know about how this will work. So without further exposition, enjoy the short!

* * *

A rainy day

Rating: T (language)

Summary: [After the main plot] What to do on a rainy day?

* * *

May 2035

Jackson seemed to be quickly turning into a swimming pool, or perhaps a mud hole. The rain had crashed down for two days straight, turning the ground to sloshing mud. Anyone would have to be crazy to want to go out. And, Ellie thought to herself, she was quite content to be sane and indoors for once. The afternoon was beginning to stretch into the evening, and she hadn't even thought about leaving the house. Joel had given her the day off. For such a hard-ass he sure did like to spoil her sometimes. She laid her head back against her pillow, snuggling the blanket against her and letting out a slight hum. She hadn't even changed out of her pajamas - baggy checkered pants and a plain white tee. Couple that with just about the softest blanket she had ever found, and the world's best pillow and life was being good to her. She shifted slightly, putting her feet up on the makeshift table in front of the couch. Her pillow coughed slightly and she looked behind her, seeing Marcus situate himself in his sleep. He still wore the scars of his - of their - journey. She knew it still haunted him, and in some ways it haunted her. But they were both healing, and healing together. They would make it through this together.

The both of them had been cuddled up since the morning, when she had crept down the stairs and flopped on top of him in his sleep. She didn't know what she had expected him to do…maybe yelp or flail around in surprise. What he did do was wrap his arms around her in an unconscious daze and roll over with her, trapping her between the couch and a very much asleep man. Her squirming had done nothing, and after an hour she had had to start gnawing on him to wake him up. They had shared breakfast in bed, well in couch, then wrapped up in each other and read her Savage Starlight comics for the thirtieth time. She was half surprised Joel hadn't smashed his face against the window to check up on what they were doing. He'd have been disappointed, or maybe it would be happy, that there was no funny business occurring under the blanket. They were simply pressed together, wrapped up in the blanket and each other, reading, talking, napping, and watching the rain patter and drip down the windowpane.

Honestly, on a day like today she wouldn't want it any other way. Sometimes she wondered where she found the strength to make it this far. The quiet moments like this seemed to rob her of her mental walls, and she couldn't imagine hurting a fly, let alone killing all the people she had or enduring everything she had. It seemed like another world, almost like something else had compelled her limbs and her thoughts to guide her towards violence. But that wasn't the case now. She felt free to do absolutely nothing, and she wouldn't have traded that feeling for anything.

Her pillow shifted, and the world suddenly went horizontal as he pulled her down to lay on top of him, her eyes towards the ceiling. She struggled to not flop off the couch entirely, looking back to chide him for not warning her, before she noticed he was still fast asleep. She let her reprimand die in her throat, inflating her cheeks with air and letting it out with a pop before quietly chuckling. He looked so peaceful to her, and her limbs became heavy and relaxed. The rain continued to dance against the cool glass, and she decided that he had the right idea, pulling her legs back onto the couch between his and situating her head against his chest. She snuck a hand down to gently hold his, and fell into a dream.

* * *

**A/N:**

Ah, it feels good to be mushy with these two. So far removed from the doom and gloom of the main story. They've earned a break, at least for now. And as far as the lengths of these stories will be, well they vary quite a bit. Some are very short, like this one, others are much longer. Comments are still appreciated, and the next one should be up tomorrow. Keep being awesome folks.


	15. Short 2 - Butterfly

**A/N:**

Before anything else, I just want to clarify something I've been getting asked quite a bit. Yes, Marcus survives the main story. In retrospect it was a bit confusing the way I worded it, but the last part was them talking in the woods after she saw him walking down the road. So he's still alive, and hence why I want to write a sequel. Any who, hope that clears things up.

Now for the copy/past message for my shorts:

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

Butterfly

Rating: T (language)

Summary: [After the main plot] What's life without family time?

* * *

June 2035

Ellie bustled around the kitchen, making the final preparations. A basket sat on the table, filled with food and drinks, along with a blanket bundled up to use as a ground sheet. She had always wanted to have a picnic.

The sun rose towards its noontime position, another perfect summer day. Birds chirped and insects hummed in the bushes, and most of the town that wasn't working was down at the lake. But not them. They had other plans.

Joel walked in, stretching his legs as sleep left his eyes. She smiled up at him, her eyes eager and excited. He had finally begun sleeping well. In all these years of struggle he had forgotten what it felt like. He stretched his arms as she moved to give him a quick hug, with him bending down to plant a quick kiss on the top of her forehead.

"Morning baby girl. I see you're one step ahead of everything."

She smiled wide, and brushed her hands on her shorts, gesturing at the filled basket.

"When it comes to wish-fulfillment I can get shit done."

He smiled and shook his head, the childlike innocence alight in her eyes seemingly at odds with the language she used. That was definitely his Ellie shinning through.

Marcus appeared, still in his pajamas, and Ellie shot him a look as he sat down.

"What are you still doing in those? It's picnic time, we've got to go."

He shook his head, relaxing into the stiff chair.

"Not for me it's not. I'm not feeling too hot babe, you two go along without me." He looked tired, though his eyes shined bright. She frowned slightly, crossing her arms.

"You said you wanted to go on the picnic. Why the change of plans?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Not that I don't want to, just that I don't feel too good. Seriously Ell, you two go and I promise to drag myself to the next one no matter how I feel."

He pushed the basket towards her, and she took it, huffing slightly and turning towards the door. Ellie just wanted a fucking picnic. She walked outside into the bright sun and waited for Joel as he laced up his boots. The two men looked at each other, and Joel spoke first.

"You're not sick."

Marcus laughed, getting up and grabbing an apple from the basket.

"Not really, no. But I've been hogging her lately and I figured you two could go for some father-daughter bonding and such. Or was I wrong?"

Joel laced up his last boot, looking at Marcus as his foot rested on the chair. For once he gave the boy a rare smile, and shook his head.

"Thank you."

Marcus flashed him a grin, raising the apple in a toast.

"Anytime Joel. You two have fun."

The older man turned and walked out of the house, the door closing with a thump. Marcus watched Ellie gravitate to him, seeming to walk circles around him as they started down the dusty street. He gave a quiet laugh and walked back to the couch, plopping down on it and pulling out a book, kicking his legs up on the table.

* * *

The pair walked out of town, the dirt and gravel crunching under their shoes. Ellie seemed to bound forwards with each step, clearly restraining herself as Joel walked at his usual unhurried gait. She turned to him, her cheeks puffed up.

"Could you walk any fucking slower?"

He looked at her, his eyebrows slightly raised at her eagerness.

"You like to see me try?"

Se huffed again, biting back one of her smart remarks, literally circling him as he continued up the hill. The basket was clutched in her hand, and bounced against her leg with each step. She grabbed his hand and led him into the forest. He let her lead him, watching her practically drag him through the foliage, swerving around trees and stumps as they trailblazed deeper and deeper.

Joel sunk into his mind as she pulled him along. Life had finally, completely, turned around for them. His Ellie was happy, practically radiating joy most days, and that warmed some frozen part of his heart. He had even felt himself slowly waking up from the emotional coma he had subjected himself to. He had loved Ellie like a daughter for quite a while, but it was burning through his crust now, showing itself to the world. It was hard to hide his pride in her. And Marcus…he grudgingly admitted that he had begun to take to the boy. He saw how he treated her, how he looked at her. He knew they did things that would probably turn him to drink, but that was to be expected. To Joel it was all about how he acted towards his daughter. She could have no better boyfriend, or at least Joel had yet to meet the boy who would be.

Suddenly the trees dropped away, and a meadow greeted them, tall grass buzzing with insects and the rustle of life all around them. She threw out her blanket, smoothing it across the grass, plopping down on it and patting the spot next to her for Joel. He sat down heavily, leaning back and breathing in the warm air. She scrambled to unpack the basket, a plate of sandwiches and a small cooler filled with drinks and ice appearing. She ripped the cover off the food, and Joel quickly had a sandwich shoved under his nose. She wagged it, laughing.

"Eat, eat, eat! I made it myself."

He took it, glancing at her with a slight smile before taking a bite. He didn't have the heart to tell her sandwiches weren't hard to make. She was just so damn excited to be crossing something off her list of things she wanted to do.

She tore into hers next to him, and they ate in comfortable silence, listening to the hum of life around them, both leaning back to watch the clouds crawl across the expanse of the blue sky. She shuffled next to him and he put his arm around her, making her beam up at him before looking away. She cleared her throat, her voice thoughtful and content.

"Look where we are now, and look where we came from."

He glanced down at her, seeing her gaze trailing across the clouds.

"What do you mean baby?"

"I mean…just think about it. You – you lost a daughter. I never had a dad. Life gets crazy, we get thrown together and go through hell. And now we both have something we never thought we'd have, and at least for me it's better than I could have ever dreamed. I mean fuck man, who'd have thought we'd get a happy ending like this in the middle of the apocalypse?"

He chuckled, rubbing her arm tenderly.

"You really think I'm that good of a dad to you?"

She looked at him, a grin across her face.

"Nah, but I just tell you that to prop up your ego. Yes dad, I do. If you weren't I'd be calling you Joel right about now. "

That was his Ellie. He playfully shoved her, and she swayed, rubber banding back into him and laughing. A thought moved through her head, and she bit her lip, seemingly unsure of whether to ask it. His eyes flashed, their glint telling her she could ask anything she wanted.

"What am I to you? I mean you call me your daughter, but am I still Ellie, or am I just Sarah 2.0? I know that seems harsh, and even if I am just filling a void I still wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm just…Just curious."

She seemed to get a bit nervous, shifting her wait and laying her hands in her lap. Her gaze trailed to the grass at the edge of the blanket. He looked down at her, his eyes lost in thought.

"At the beginning, yeah, I saw Sarah. I saw what I wanted. But you know what, after everything, after David, after the Fireflies, I saw you as just Ellie. I'll always love Sarah, and she'll always be my daughter. But no one ever said I can't have more than one daughter, and love them both just the same. So you're two things to me. You're Ellie, and you're my daughter. They're both different, but both exactly the same."

She smiled down at the ground, and without a word pushed herself against him. He grinned at his precious girl. Her voice was a whisper.

"I love you dad."

He couldn't help it - a wide smile broke across his worn face. He kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too baby girl."

They laid back, just talking, Ellie prying stories of the world out of Joel, soaking up what life was like before the world seemed to end. For once he didn't feel burdened by sharing them, and she got him to talk far longer than usual. Life floated around them, birds swooping and flirting above their blanket, feathers glinting in the light.

A butterfly floated near them, and Ellie sat up, watching it intently. It drifted near them, and she felt Joel take her by the wrist, lifting her arm up.

"Hold your finger out."

She did as she was told, and the creature drifted closer and closer, before landing on her outstretched digit with a tickle. Her smile threatened to rip her face in two. He gave a quiet chuckle, and whispered in her ear.

"No loud noises or sudden movement. Just sit there and watch it."

The creature fluttered, situating itself on her fingertip. The light seemed to glow on its orange wings, turning the dark orange a fiery shade. Her eyes gleamed with excitement, and she slowly moved the finger closer to her face, staring at the little thing perched on it. Joel's heart seemed to swell at her excitement, and he couldn't help but see her as both so much younger and older than sixteen going on seventeen.

The butterfly launched from her hand, flying back into the sky in lazy circles, floating away to land on a wild flower nearby. Elli looked to him, her face still alight. She searched for words.

"That…that was so cool. I've never had that happen before dad. I don't know what to say."

He chuckled, the noise deep and comforting to her. His arm held her tighter, and she rested her chin on her knees, closing her eyes in the warm sunlight.

"You don't have to say a thing darlin'. That's what dads are for."

She smiled to herself, feeling another gentle kiss on the top of her head. Only one word seemed to dance through her mind at that moment.

_Dad._

* * *

**A/N:**

Delicious fluff. Joel needed some father daughter time with Ellie. Enjoy, the next one should be up tomorrow.


	16. Short 3- Dancing

**A/N:**

Now for the copy/past message for my shorts:

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

Dancing

Rating: T [language]

Summary: [After the main plot] just one dance.

August 2035

The town was alive on a warm summer night. It was a festival, or what passed for one in this day and age. Neighbors had travelled from house to house earlier in the day, spending time with friends, loved ones, all talking and laughing. A band had been scrapped together from some of the more musically inclined townsfolk. Ellie had written Joel's name in to be the guitarist, dropping it in the box Tommy had placed on his porch without informing her father. She swore Joel almost had an aneurism when Tommy drew his name out of the hat for the final pick. But, she rationalized, the old man could go for some socialization. Even if it was forced. At least she hadn't tried to get him to be the singer.

The sun had set, and a few of the town's spotlights had been dragged into a clearing inside the walls, the lights being flicked on and tables being dragged out. A small park was quickly built up, the houses nearby graciously offering their rooms and seats when the outside tables quickly filled. A dirt dance floor was cleared, and the band began playing. Ellie maneuvered through the crowd of party-goers, a plate of thin cookies balanced on one hand, two cups of tea pinched between the fingers of her other hand. She saw Marcus sitting at a table, saving her a seat. He waved at her and she approached, dropping the plate on the table and handing him one of the cups. She sat down next to him, leaning back against the table so she could watch the festivities. To any spectator it would have seemed a brilliant idea had crept into her head, and she lightly smacked his arm to get his attention. She had planned this all day.

"Hey, let's dance."

He turned to her, his jaw slowly crunching down on a cookie. He raised his eyebrows.

"Seriously?" The word was half muffled by the food in his mouth.

"No, not seriously, let's just duck behind the bushes and screw. Yes I'm serious, c'mon we've never danced before."

He swallowed the dry cookie, taking a swig of the tea.

"There's probably a good reason for that babe."

She rolled her eyes. "Which is?"

"We don't know how to dance." He could be so damn matter-of-fact sometimes.

"Well we didn't know how to do lots of other stuff together either. But we still did it. This doesn't have to be any different. Don't be such a fucking negative Nancy."

"Shit Ell, I just wanted to relax."

"Oh come on, it'll be fun! You can relax just about any other day. How often do we get to have a party like this?"

He sighed, looking down at the drink in his hands, desperately wishing it had just the slightest kick of alcohol to take the edge off. He hated the spotlight, and he just happened to be in a relationship with the daughter of the brother of the 'mayor' of this fine town. People talked and watched. Jackson had grown. Gossip was alive and well even after the apocalypse. She kicked at the dirt expectantly, her eyes wide and just the slightest hint of a smile on her lips. He knew she knew that face could get him to do anything. He blew out a breath, making tiny ripples across his drink.

"Tell me what I want to hear."

She beamed. "It'll make me happy and I'll love you just a bit more."

He laughed, and playfully shoved her.

"You know damn well you couldn't love me any more even if you tried. Alright, one dance."

It was her turn to shove him back, and she practically leapt off the bench, waiting with an impatient air as he downed his drink, getting up and pushing away from the table. She grabbed his hand, leading him through the groups of people, her destination set on the dance floor.

Joel noticed her barging forwards, chuckling as he saw Marcus being dragged behind her. She had guaranteed Joel she'd get Marcus to dance. The girl had her ways. A bet was a bet and he had just lost. Time to play the song he promised. The song they were playing ended, and he nodded to the other members. Time for them to play their parts. He reclined into his chair, the guitar comfortable in his hands. He began to strum, as the lyrics began to float over the crowd from the singer.

Ellie dragged Marcus to the corner of the dance floor, turning to him and pressing against him. He looked around, then down at her.

"Now what?" The poor boy was out of his element. She giggled at his bemusement.

"Now we dance silly."

"We still don't know how to."

She shrugged, backing away and taking his hands in hers.

"Just follow my lead."

She began to move and sway, vaguely mimicking the dancers nearby. He awkwardly shuffled along with her, and she laughed as they danced. She radiated happiness, and Marcus couldn't help but grin and loosen up, matching his movements to hers. Her laughter became infections, and it spread to him. The other dancers slowly moved away, and the couple had the corner all to themselves, moving and dancing like hummingbirds jumping from flower to flower. They lost themselves in the moment, and danced and danced, laughing over the music. They looked ridiculous, and they knew it. But in the moment they didn't care. All that mattered was each other, and the notes of music floating through the air. Time seemed to find some mercy, and slowed down for them, allowing every moment to be savored.

The song ended, and she pressed against him, breathlessly laughing into his shirt. Everything finally felt so right. Joel…dad, was here, Marcus was here, Tommy, Maria – they were all here. The infected couldn't hurt her. The Fireflies couldn't hurt her. David, Erikson – no one could hurt her anymore. If this is what it felt like to live then she regretted missing out on it for so long. To be dancing and laughing, surrounded by people doing the same. That was it. That was living to her. Safe. Happy. Loved. She smiled up at her boyfriend, and he smiled down.

"Well, you said one dance and that was one dance. I guess we can go." Her words were still laced with laughter.

He bit his lip, remaining in place.

"Well…one more wouldn't kill me. Unless you want to go."

Her only reply was more laughter, and she crashed against him as the next song began. They danced long into the night, laughing and smiling and impossibly falling just a little bit more in love with each other.

* * *

**A/N:**

So how's everyone liking these shorts so far? I'm trying to make them a nice break from the doom and gloom of my main story.


	17. Short 4 - The Talk

**A/N:**

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

The talk

Rating: T [language/_mild_ sexual themes]

Summary: [After the events of the main story] Joel sits Ellie down for a very important talk.

July 2035

Ellie sat at the plywood table, her arms folded across her chest as Joel stiffly walked up and down in front of her. The chair felt hard and uncomfortable beneath her. The afternoon sun shone through the open window, and laughter and the sounds of people drifted in from the town outside. He had called her down from her room, away from her books, only saying that they "needed to have a talk." Marcus was out running through the woods. Lucky him. The awkwardness was almost palpable. Joel paced a few more times, before slapping one fist into the palm of his other hand and quickly sitting down opposite her. She looked at him with expectant eyes.

"Yeah Dad?"

He lightly bumped his fists against the table, taking a deep breath, exhaling as his tongue slid over his teeth as he searched for words. Ellie shifted uncomfortably. The hell was his problem? He began to speak, his usual confidence replaced by a crackling mess of words.

"Ellie – baby – I'm your father now, so there's certain fatherly duties I've got to take care of. Now I know you and Marcus are together, and have been for a while. So, I feel like we need to talk about certain…things. I'm not sure what you learned in that school up in Boston, so I'm going to lay it all out for you."

_Oh fuck._ She felt her cheeks color red. Why this talk, why him? She was too old for this shit.

"Obviously when a couple's been together for a while, they start to get certain…urges. That's fine and normal…but you've got to use your head. You following me baby-girl?"

She slowly nodded, moving to quickly brush a few strands of uncooperative hair away from her eyes. Should she tell him this talk was over half a year too late? Joel continued on, his strongman exterior cracking as he searched for polite terms and words to use.

"Now obviously there are parts of women and parts of, well of men that fit together pretty well. Now that's for a particular reason…."

"You mean sex?" Her voice surprised even her. She dug her nails into her arm, wincing. Whichever part of her that decided to speak up was going to pay. Joel seemed to lose his train of thought for a moment.

"Yeah…yes…sex. I forget how old you are." He scratched at his beard. "So I'm guessing you're aware of what goes where?"

_Way more than aware, Dad._ Her mind was being rebellious. At least she hadn't said it out loud.

"Yeah I – I guess you could say that."

He nodded, his jaw clenching slightly.

"Alright. You are sixteen, I'm sure you…learned that back in Boston. Now I just want to talk about those urges you may be feeling."

_You mean acting on?_

"There are usually two kinds when it comes to, ah, to sex. The kind that feels like more than cuddling, and…and the kind that feels like more than wrestling. Both are normal, and some people feel those things more than others." His face became pinched, and she cringed as he continued. "Now it's not wrong to…fuck, no, well yes, but I mean…to act on them - those urges - as long as you're," he looked like he was going to be ill, "…safe about it."

He looked up at her and seemed to shrink before her nervous gaze. This was harder than he had thought it would be. Not his innocent Ellie. Her gaze was screaming at him to just ask it. It, it, it, just ask IT. He closed his eyes.

"But you…already know this don't you? Firsthand?"

Her nod was slow and deliberate, her fingers screwed together and one cheek sucked into her mouth. Joel dropped his head, and gently pushed his thumbs against his closed eyes. He heard Ellie clear her throat.

"If…if it makes it any better for you, nothing happened till we started saying the L word. And I talked to Maria, we…shit, we're being as safe as we can be." The nervousness in her stomach seemed to leap through her body at the confession. Joel took the news quietly. He looked at her, and leaned back, cracking his knuckles as he processed it.

"You two…you – he doesn't make you do anything you don't want to, right?"

_I'll try anything once._ Her mind was abandoning her. She willed it to shut the fuck up. Ellie quickly shook her head, her ponytail flipping across her shoulders.

"No! No, fuck no. He'd never do something like that. Trust me."

He nodded, accepting her explanation. He cleared his throat, and added a final piece.

"I can't stop you. I won't stop you. Just...You know, Ellie, that if you ever have any questions…even some uncomfortable ones, you can come to me. If I don't know the answer I'll find someone who does."

She nodded, whispering "okay," before he stood up, gave her a slow nod, and headed out to the back porch. Ellie remained where she was, still in shock, long after she heard the strings of his guitar being plucked. She slowly got up, and seemed to glide up the stairs to her room. Suddenly the bed seemed an awkward place to sit, and she closed the door, sliding down to the wooden floor, burying her head in her arms and shuddering.

_Oh man that was awful. I think I just nuked his sense of reality._

She remained there for a while, her mind feebly trying to process what had happened as she stared out the window at the sunny day.

Joel plucked aimlessly at his guitar, the sound disorganized and messy. His mind was far away. His Ellie, his little Ellie. He shook his head. For everything that she was, she was also a woman now, doing womanly things. She had been ready to stab him when they first met, so why should this surprise him? Yet that rationalization did nothing to take the icy spike out of his heart. He had always told himself he would understand as long as she was smart about it, and to his credit he kept his cool. Didn't mean it didn't sting though - to look back and realize that no matter what they had gone through she was growing up. He had only known her a few months past two years, yet it felt like a lifetime. She was his daughter dammit. So much of him wanted to thrash that kid for making her grow up. He leaned back in the wooden chair, staring up into the gently rolling clouds. He shut his eyes, the sunlight still bleeding thorough, and let out a deep breath. He opened them and looked down.

A rabbit sat in the yard, bathing in the warmth. Another one scampered out from a bush and they trailed in a circle around each other before darting off to destinations unknown, and intentions unknown. He stood up, placing the guitar on the chair with a weary arm. He was going to Tommy's. He needed a drink.

* * *

**A/N:**

Poor Joel. That's got to be a hard pill to swallow. I highly doubt he'd be able to face that revelation or even that topic with his usual stoicism.

As always, keep those comments flowing all.

It was suggested that I do a short about Marcus learning to ride a horse. Only problem is I have NO idea how to ride a horse myself, and I fear that would show quite apparently in that short. Kind of funny considering I used to vacation to a horse farm every summer. But I am open to suggestions, and if I feel like I can write it to an acceptable standard, believe me I will!

And as for the song I envisioned them dancing to in my last short, I saw Ellie picking something light and carefree - feel good music. At the beach by the Avett Brothers is my head-cannon song, though I'm sure others could find different music for the occasion.


	18. Short 5 - Pillow Fort

**A/N:**

As you will soon see from the ratings below, this is my first M rated short. It is obviously apparent what is going on if you read between the lines, but I think this is about as close to smut as I will get. I'm not writing it so people can get their jollies from Ellie and Marcus, but rather just to show that they are, at least for the moment, just a couple of teens, doing teen stuff.

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

Pillow fort

Rating: M [implied sexual stuff]

Summary: [After the main plot] What's the password?

* * *

October 2035

Joel walked up the stairs, going out of his way to make them creak and groan under his weight. It was his early warning system to Ellie and Marcus. For...whatever they might be up to. And who was he kidding, they were up to something quite a bit. He didn't need to elaborate on that point anymore in his mind. He still got pangs of cold in his stomach from the thought of what they got up to. He reached her door, rapping his knuckles a few times against the wood. There was a rustling and a panicked curse, and her voice rang out.

"Yeah Dad?"

"Ellie. You ah…presentable?"

"Ye…yeah. Yeah sure. C'mon in."

He opened the door, a soft breeze wafting over him. Her window was open, cool air blowing through. She had pulled all the blankets and pillows off her bed, making a fort in the middle of her room. _That explains where the couch cushions went, _he thought. His questions had just been answered. Best to make sure though.

"What are you even doing in here?"

"Pillow fort. I never got to make one when most kids did. Be happy I'm not making a moat along with it."

There was a slight rustling from inside the confines of the fort, and her head popped out, hair disheveled and eyes glimmering. He scratched his head, letting out a breath.

"So I'm guessing you're the one who liberated the cushions from the couch?"

She blinked at him, her eyes rolling around as she fished for an answer.

"Wood is kinda a shitty thing to lie on dad. You don't…you don't need them back do you?"

He shook his head. Something seemed off about her.

"No, no. Just…wanted to make sure Marcus hadn't carted them into the woods again. Since we found a sleeping bag and all. Speaking of which, where is he?"

He face became pinched, and she bit her lip, seemingly deep in thought.

"Ah….he went onto the roof for some fresh air. He acc…accused me of ripping one in here, which I didn't fucking do, so he went out there to breathe easy."

Her window opened up to the roof, and it was easy to climb out and enjoy the view and the breeze. Strange, he thought, that he didn't hear any thumping or banging from outside the window. It was almost too quiet. He nodded slowly. He felt like he was intruding. She was the only person alive who could make him feel like that.

"Alright. Well don't forget it's your turn to fix dinner. I've got to wrap things up at the warehouse. I'll be back in an hour or so."

She nodded, looking like she was about to sneeze, and he shut the door, shaking his head as he walked down the stairs and out the door.

She heard his footsteps thump through the house, and the door shut behind him. She relaxed, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. He never noticed the bundle of clothes in the corner. They weren't just her's.

"Well that was close. Just FYI, you're a bit of a shitty liar."

The voice came from inside the fort. She rolled her eyes and kicked, getting a thump and yelp from him. He was either very brave or very stupid today.

"It's hard to fucking lie when _you_ don't stop when someone's trying to fucking talk to m-" she yelped, and looked like she was about to sneeze again. He still hadn't stopped. A laugh came from inside the fort.

"You never said stop. And you said, I quote, 'don't stop until I tell you to.' Just following orders."

"You're an ass."

Another laugh, and another yelp from her.

"That's still not 'stop.' Just say it and I'll stop."

She gripped the blanket that had been laid on top of the cushions, only managing to gasp out "don't."

He didn't.

* * *

**A/N:**

Well there we go. I have a few more sexual ones already finished, and who knows how many more I may end up writing, but I wont post them all at once. Again, they're only to show how the couple's relationship developes, as well as being humorous in a "oh you crazy kids" sort of way.

I know it's a short one this time, but hey, I write them till I feel they're finished. Hope you enjoyed, as always the next one will drop tomorrow, though it may be posted more into the afternoon or evening, instead of the early morning. I have things to attend to, and actually have to be asleep by that time instead of just going to bed.

Now, on to answer any questions. It was asked if there would be a prequel to "The Talk," about the first time Marcus and Ellie...well went at it. I actually already wrote that, it was the end of chapter 6 of the main story line.

As always, R&R! It's awesome to see the following this story and the shorts have started to get!


	19. Short 6 - Blueberries

**A/N:**

Well, I know I said that I'd be posting this at an odd hour, but screw it, I'm up this early (never went to bed, oh today is going to be a grind) so I may as well post it before I leave for the day. Got to think of the fans, man! Just a normal one today, filled with the usual fluffiness.

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

Blueberries

Rating: T [language/_mild_ sexual references]

Summary: [After the main story] Just a midday snack

August 2035

The sounds of birds echoed around them, and the young couple lazily hiked through the forests surrounding Jackson. Ellie's backpack gently bounced against her shoulders, the sounds of canteens sloshing their contents left and right loud in her ears as she walked around trees and their thick roots. Marcus trailed along at her side, keeping pace with his bright-eyed girlfriend, enjoying the sounds of nature engulfing them. They had made their hikes an almost daily occurrence, sometimes with Joel, sometimes without. It was just one more way to feel alive and together.

The pair moved even deeper, now an hour's walk away from the walls of Jackson. Both the teens had rolled up their sleeves, letting the warm breeze flow across their skin. There was no one around for miles to see the ugly bite wounds that scarred their arms. She stopped and turned to her boyfriend, and a smile spread across his lips as she leaned back against a tree and wiped some sweat from her brow. He walked up to her, and she gripped his collar, pulling him in for a kiss. It was long and deep, and they seemed to sink into it.

His stomach growled, a loud, churning sound. She giggled into his lips, and pulled back, breaking the kiss.

"Someone forgot lunch." Her voice was playful and teasing.

He looked down at his stomach, prodding it with one finger.

"And breakfast." He added to her statement.

"How the hell do you forget to eat?"

He shrugged. "Well we kind of slept in, then next thing I know you were pestering me to get dressed."

She raised her eyebrows.

"We?"

He kicked at the dirt, and shrugged again.

"Ok, I slept in. Not my fault you tired me out as soon as I woke up."

Ellie shook her head, letting out an exasperated breath. Not her fault they woke up with the house empty. Besides, he was the one that wanted to do all the work this morning. She _had_ offered to take care of everything.

"Well I don't hear you complaining."

She already knew the answer before she asked the question. He waved his hands in front of him.

"No no no. The opposite actually. My stomach's just bitching a bit."

She sighed, looking around her.

"Well, maybe we can find something edible around here."

Ellie pushed away from the tree, and began to walk again, her eyes scanning the surrounding area for any bushes. A small flash of blue hidden in a bush caught her eye, and she waved her boyfriend over. The bush was thick, and filled with small berries, all a deep, full shade of blue. A faint smell of fruit wafted off the bush, and Marcus's mouth began to water. She turned around, pulling her backpack off and rooting through it for a plant book Joel had given her. She wanted to make sure it wasn't poisonous. Better safe than sorry.

The book appeared in her hands, and she began flipping through it, searching for a picture that matched the plant behind her. A picture seemed to fit, and the description told her that it was safe to eat. She turned to Marcus.

"Hey, it's safe to ea…"

Juice already dribbled down his chin, as he let another handful of berries roll out of his hand and into his mouth. Her voice died in her throat, and she threw up her hands in surrender.

"Well glad to see you know so much about all the shit you can shove in your face."

He chewed, and juice dripping out. He really was pigging out.

"What?" His voice was muffled by all the berries. Ellie shook her head.

"Nothing. They any good?"

He nodded, moving back to root through the bush. A whistle escaped his lips, and he drew back, a huge berry between his fingers.

"Well would you look at this."

He was clearly impressed, drawing it near his face to study it. Ellie stepped forwards, leaning in too. She leaned back, a devilish smile spreading across her lips. Marcus made to eat the berry, and her hands flashed like lightning, pulping the oversized berry between his fingers and her palms. It exploded, blue-purple juice cutting a series of splotches up his face. His mouth was frozen half open, still seeming to wait for a snack that never came. He blinked.

"You…bitch."

She smirked at him, flashing puppy dog eyes and assuming an air of innocence. Ellie winked at him, and blew a mock kiss. He moved to wipe some of the juice off, before an evil smile to match hers spread across his lips.

_Uh oh._

He reached behind him, digging into his backpack and pulling out two canteens, one in each hand. He took a step towards her, and she took a step back. Someone was about to get soaked. She looked to her right, her face being flooded with surprise, and she point away, causing Marcus to look away, expecting the worst.

Nothing was there. He looked back and saw her tearing deeper into the forest, her laugher trickling back to him on the breeze. He took a deep breath, letting out a screeching war cry, as he bolted after her.

* * *

**A/N:**

Well, big thanks to both BlueSky and Madalyn for the horse riding advice. You know what, I'll give it a shot. I hope neither of you mind if you get a pm with any questions I may have. You're both guaranteed a major shout out if I get it to a level that I think is postable haha. It may take some time to be posted - I tend to take my sweet ass time writing things I'm not 100% confident about, just to iron out all the details.

Keep the ideas rolling in folks, I'm sure you have some ideas for shorts I've never thought of.

As for the comments for last chapter, I'm glad no one thought it was too over the top. Theres a fine line between writing the characters as sexually aware and active and writing them as just sex objects, especially since these shorts usually revolve around one one topic at a time, and the topics that include sex tend to revolve around said act. There will be more stories in the same vein as the last one (though they don't all beat up on poor Joel,) and one I have planned may be a bit more graphic, but only a bit, and only because I feel it will enhance the message of the short. As I've said again and again I'm not here to write a "he did...she did...and boom goes the dynamite" type of story, unless for some strange reason I felt it would really, _really_ have some kind of hard impact on both the plot, the characters, and the readers.

And now for cryptically good news - there is work being done on a sequel. I cannot guarantee it will be posted because of classes resuming (and doing a double major stands to be one hell of a time eater) but I do promise to try, and write like a madman while I still have the free time to!

Let those comments flow folks, and stay classy!


	20. Short 7 - Sweeth Tooth

**A/N:**

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

Sweet tooth

Rating: T [language]

Summary: [After the main plot] Who doesn't love candy?

October 2035

"Do it you pussy."

Ellie stared him down, the dare alight in her eyes. Marcus glanced down, the challenge seeming to stare back up at him, mocking him. A twenty year old candy bar. She had dared him to eat it in a moment of boredom. He locked eyes with her, and she taunted him.

"Oh, is someone to scared? Guess that means I win the bet, I'll just be taking my –"

He slammed his fist on the table. "Like fuck you'll win anything!" The candy disappeared down his throat. He sat back, crossing his arms and burping as the candy impacted in his stomach acid. He sneered at her, and her draw dropped.

"You…wow. I didn't think you would actually do that."

He wiggled his head, making a mocking laughing noise.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Well I did, so dea-" he burped again, his hand shooting to cover his mouth. He licked his lips, an odd taste forming in his gums. She looked at him quizzically.

"You okay?"

He squinted, his tongue running all over his mouth. The odd taste got worse. He swallowed, and burped again.

"I...I don't know."

She stood up, walking towards him and laying a hand on his shoulder. She gave a slight chuckle, looking him over.

"Oh fuck that was probably a bad idea, wasn't it?"

He nodded, his face turning ashen.

"I'm quickly coming to regret this decision."

He began motioning to the door.

"Air…I need fresh air."

He got up, walking unsteadily towards the back porch, and she trailed behind, equal parts concern and humor twinkling in her eyes. She held the door open for him, and he dropped to his knees, his hands in the dirt. She sat down next to him, biting her lip, feeling guilty at finding it so damn funny.

He took a ragged breath.

"Ellie, you fucking suc-"

The vomit cut him off. She couldn't help it - the guilt was quickly silenced by the hilarity. She laughed as he vomited. He seemed to let out a moan as he heaved, and her sides began to burn as she rolled back onto the deck. She knew for a fact he would have done the same if it was her tossing up the contents of their stomach over a dare. That fact made it easier to enjoy his momentary misery.

His stomach heaved for a final time, and he collapsed back, rolling back onto the porch, his arms clutching at his stomach. He groaned, and her laughs quieted down to giggles. She rolled over, propping herself up on her elbows, looking at his writhing form.

"So that's what winning look likes. Thanks for clearing that up champ."

He burped again, curling into the fetal position.

"I hate you."

She laughed again, scooting closer to him and patting him on the stomach. He moaned.

"Oh shut up, you love me."

He groaned again.

"Well what do I win?"

She moved, sitting down and guiding his head into her lap as she smiled down at him.

"Well I guess you win getting taken care of till you don't look like shit anymore."

He rolled off her, throwing up again, before coughing in defeat and collapsing. She rubbed his back, giggling. She heard him whisper into the dirt.

"Worth it."

* * *

**A/N:**

Super short one today, just because of the odd posting time (for me, at any rate). I plan on posting a longer one tomorrow, so don't worry if this one doesn't saté your fix for fluff. Although I was thinking about posting a story about Marcus's past, which is most decidedly not a happy story.


	21. Short 8 - Earlobe

**A/N:**

Sorry for the quick delete. Messed up the title of the chapter. Here we go, all fixed now!

Well here it is, a little glimpse into the person Marcus was before he regained his conscience. It's not nice, but when that's how you were raised what else can you do? Lucky for us he's not like that anymore, or the story would have had quite the unhappy ending.

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

Earlobe

Rating: M [violence, and general all-around not niceness]

Summary: [Before the main plot] You never told her how you lost your earlobe.

April, 2031

Southwest of Lumberton, North Carolina

The camp was on fire, and screams and jeers flew across the breeze like carrion birds above a corpse. His men, though to call them that would overstate their age by several years, were ransacking the place, and taking their spoils. The assault had gone perfectly, the defenders quickly overwhelmed in the dead of night, many of the men being killed off, the rest turning and fleeing, leaving the women and children to their fate. Perhaps they had expected mercy due to their age or gender. They were wrong. The sun now began to creep over the horizon, bathing the land in a young glow, and highlighting the brutality that had taken place. Blood soaked into the tents, and spent casing littered the ground. That was to make no mention of the bodies being piled up in the middle of the camp.

Lewis walked down the rows of tents, the stench of death overpowering. The new commander was certainly brutal. What impressed him the most was also how cunning he had turned out to be as well. Most of those that came directly from Bragg tended to be one or the other. But not him. He had planned every minute of the assault, and it had gone perfectly to plan. It had been quick and devastating, using both surprise and overwhelming violence to send the refugees into disarray.

The sun rose higher and the pile of bodies were lit on fire, the stench making many of the survivors, even some of the child soldiers, retch and void the contents of their stomach. Even Lewis had to cover his mouth with a dirty cloth. Nearby stood the commander, along with what remained of the group of refugees. His mouth was uncovered, his hands folded behind his back at parade rest. Their leader was on his knees, a defeated light in his eyes. His nose was broken.

"I have a tradition in my family." The young man's voice rang out. "That we offer the leader of each group we kill the chance to end their lives with some dignity. You are no different."

The boy moved, pulling out a revolver and emptying all the rounds except for one. The gun was cocked, and he bent down and placed the gun in the man's hands.

"Now kill yourself why you still have some self-respect. Don't think I won't break you."

The man looked down at the pistol, then up at the commander. The finality of the situation was absolute. His people had been slaughtered, and he was a dead man. There was only one thing left to do.

The barrel snapped up, and the round went off, careening towards the boy. He jerked back, snarling and spitting as the bullet tore past his head, ripping off his earlobe. Blood poured down his neck, and his hand shot up to clamp against the ragged tear. The man had missed. The boy's knee powered into the broken man's forehead, and he was knocked to the ground, a boot clamping down onto his throat. A wicked trench knife appeared in his other hand, and the boy bent down, the blade angled for one of the man's eyes. A scream echoed out, and a girl a year or so younger than the commander broke from hiding.

"Daddy!"

She was quickly caught by some of the "soldiers," and an older woman also bolted from hiding, desperately trying to pull her daughter back into the shadows. It was too late. The commander stiffened, and his foot eased off the man's throat. Cold fear dripped into the father's heart. The boy motioned for his men to bring the two over to him. They were roughly dragged before him, and he looked them up and down. He nodded towards the mother, and two of his followers quickly tied her hands behind her back, and forced her to her knees. The conqueror walked behind her, roughly grabbing her by the hair, his eyes locked on the man's.

"I want you to realize that everything that is about to happen now is your fault. You caused this."

His trench knife glinted, and the woman's throat was cut, her airway torn in two and blood frothing down her throat. She bucked and gurgled, and he kept his iron grip on her hair, forcing her to remain upright as blood bubbled up with each beat of her doomed heart. She sputtered and her mouth moved. Perhaps she was trying to say the man's name. Terror glinted in her eyes, and she choked on her own blood.

It took several minutes for her to die, the only sounds around the camp the horrid gurgling of the dying woman, and the hapless cries of the young girl. The husband was too stricken to speak or move, his eyes locked on his dying wife's, as she slowly stopped shaking and gurgling. The commander let go of her hair, and her lifeless body crashed to earth. Blood leaked out of her, soaking into the dry ground. He slowly lowered himself down to the man's level, his eyes cold and hateful.

"It only gets worse now. Trust me."

He stepped back, and motioned three of his men to approach. The order was simple: Drag the girl and the man into a tent and give him a show. Wicked smiles spread across their faces and the crying girl and man were hauled into the nearest still standing tent.

Lewis swallowed hard as the screams began to rise in intensity and pain. Those three were the most notorious sadists and rapists he had ever met. They weren't even seventeen yet. It lasted half an hour, the screams hitting an ear-splitting note, only to be slowly choked off by the sound of cruel laughing and desperate sobbing. The commander stood still, his hands returned to their position of parade rest while the brutality was carried out. Thoughts seemed to ghost across his eyes. He stared into space, seemingly looking through the tent the entire time. The boys reappeared, wickedly satisfied smirks on their faces, and the broken girl and father were dragged out. Her clothes had been torn to shreds, and she bled profusely.

Again, he bent down to the man's level.

"This is what defeat looks like. Look what you caused." The voice held some muted revulsion. Lewis couldnt tell who it was directed at.

The revolver reappeared in the boy's hands, and the hammer was pulled back. The commander's face was set in stone, and the man expected him to pull the trigger and finish things. The shot never came. The revolver was dropped in front of the girl. She scrambled for it, clutching the metal and forcing the barrel in her mouth. A shot rang out and she was dead before her head hit the ground.

A low wail echoed from the man. The light left his eyes, and the sound signified the death of his soul. He didn't protest when he was hauled to his feet. He didn't protest as a noose was tied around his neck. He didn't protest when gasoline was poured on his feet. He didn't protest as he was hung over a fire, his legs catching light and sending agony spiking through his body. The boy had been right – this is what defeat looked like.

The soldiers marched away from the ruined camp, their packs full of supplies. Bodies hung from the surrounding trees, a gruesome message being left in the destruction. All at the commander's orders. Another successful raid. Lewis jogged up the column of killers. The commander was up front. He turned to Lewis as he neared.

"Another successful day, don't you think?" His tone was distant. Remorse was absent at the atrocity he had committed. Lewis searched for words.

"It certainly was…creative. I've never seen an attack go that smoothly, and it's all thanks to you…"

He fished for a name, and the commander smiled slightly, the twitch of his lips seemingly pained, and extended a hand to him.

"Marcus. I'm Marcus."

The new commander's mind was both empty and full. His scars itched. Dozens of faces seemed to swim in his mind, melting and splitting into screaming, howling facades. A cold thought pushed its way through the specters, freezing them into some long forgotten recess of his mind. Its tendrils were muting and isolating. Anxiety seemed to bubble through the pores of his skin. He hopped his dad would be proud of him.

* * *

**A/N:**

Yeah, he was a bit of a dick...blame it on the parents

Now, responding to reviews time!

It was asked if I was a woman. Nope. Wasn't five minutes ago. Just checked now - still a guy. In all seriousness I only include the romance and "intimacy" because I'm trying to create a relationship between those two, and at least in my opinion (other opinions do exist) intimacy is required for a relationship to progress along its natural path. People dig people, and stuff happens. Plus it allows you to see the characters in settings you usually wouldn't, which allows you to get a more complete picture of them. That's just how I feel, and I write what I feel. That explains why some of their moments are romantic, while other are...uh not so romantic. Both sides exist, and I feel its my job to make sure both sides are represented. That is to say nothing of the other aspects of their relationship, which I try to make sure vastly outnumber their more "primal" parts.

Keep the comments a rollin'! I'll be sure to post up a lighter story next time.


	22. Short 9 - Swimming Hole

**A/N:**

Here we go, one removed from the doom and gloom of the last short.

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

Swimming hole

Rating: M [implied stuff, better safe than sorry]

Summary: [Set after the main plot] Summer livin'

July 2035

The sun burnt bright overhead, the rays of light baking Jackson in a haze. Summer had engulfed the ramshackle town, and windows were thrown open in an attempt to mitigate the sweltering temperatures. Ellie woke up, throwing off the one thin blanket she had been using, and searching around her room for some shorts and a long shirt. She was currently wearing nothing. Modesty could go to hell when her room felt like a sauna. Even the stairs seemed to be on fire as she walked down to the kitchen. All the windows in the house had been thrown open, and the ragged drapes flapped in the summer breeze. The street seemed to shimmer and slide in the heat. She swore to herself, her long shirt already sticking to her slim frame. She heard Joel out on the back porch. She opened the back door, and saw him relaxing in his chair, his guitar lazily held in his hands. She went out and sat down on the deck next to him, speaking as he looked down at her.

"It's fucking hot out."

He gave a slight chuckle, lightly patting her on the head.

"I hadn't noticed. And good mornin' to you too."

She looked at him, strands of hair already clinging to her forehead as it glistened with sweat.

"No seriously, it's fucking hot out."

"Well you could always go join your boyfriend at the lake. He headed down there an hour ago."

Ellie cocked her head. It was always "your boyfriend" with Joel when he talked about Marcus, that or simply a "him." She found it curious. Those two actually got along well enough, and yet her surrogate father still couldn't bring himself to humanize the boy that he must think seemed to steal her away. She never understood his worry. Marcus was her boyfriend. Joel was her father. She'd always want her dad in her life, no matter how crazy in love she fell with Marcus.

She stood up, stretching and feeling her clothes uncomfortably stick to her. She pulled at her shirt, flapping it up and down to circulate air against her skin, being thankful for even the slightest reprieve from the heat. She looked down at Joel.

"What about you, dad? Feel like taking a dip?"

He shook his head, letting a finger gently strum down the strings, the notes seeming to warble in the heat.

"Nah, swimming's been ruined for me after everything. I have flashbacks of pallets. You go on ahead baby girl. I'll be here."

Well at least he had taught her how to swim before it became too much.

She leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek, turning around and heading back inside to slip her shoes on and find a towel. He settled back into his chair, letting a lazy smile spread across his face.

The lake sat away from the town, a relatively quick hike through the woods. It twinkled azure in the sunlight, the water appearing cool and refreshing. She broke through the tree line and saw it spread out before her. It was empty, save for a small speck swimming in relaxed ovals in the middle. She started down the slight trail towards the water's edge, and the figure swam towards her. She smiled involuntarily as he called out to her.

"Well look who decided to show. I was starting to think you melted up in your room."

His tone was playful, and she kicked water at him. It sparkled as it arched through the air. She sat down at the water's edge, and he continued to float a distance out. He beckoned to her.

"C'mon, the waters great."

She stood up, kicking off her shoes, and walked in. The water rose up to her legs, cooling her skin instantly. _It really was a good day for shorts._ She waded in deeper, and the water lapped at her neck. Marcus swam over to her, a curious look on his face.

"You uh…you know you're still wearing all your clothes, right?"

She gave him his look right back, confused at his confusion.

"And what is option two then?"

He scratched his head, looking around like the answer was flying around his head.

"To, oh I don't know, _not_ wear clothes when you go swimming. Who wants to walk around in soaking wet pants unless you were cleaning them?"

He sure was filled with odd habits. She shook her head.

"That's not how we do things around here. Besides, someone might see."

He looked around again.

"I don't see anyone."

She rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't mean they're not coming."

"Ell they won't even be able to see anything. Shit, they only person you've got to worry about seeing anything is me…and newsflash babe, I'm quite used to you sans clothes."

She chuckled, and splashed water at him. He laughed and backed up, taunting her.

"Do that again, I dare you."

Her eyes narrowed, a mischievous smile on her lips, and she slowly moved her hand towards the water, flicking it down at the last second and sending droplets of cool water all over his face. He took a deep breath, and dived under the water. She couldn't see him.

Suddenly she was jerked under, only having enough time to take a ragged gulp of air. She felt herself being manhandled and spun about, feeling things pull and tug at her. She resurfaced, gasping for breath and laughing at his assault. Her laughed cut off in her throat, and her eyes widened. Her clothes were gone. He resurfaced a small distance away, her shorts perched on his head like a crown. He waved. This was a bad day for her to have gone commando.

"Doesn't that feel better?" He taunted.

She attempted to cover herself, her hands shooting to conceal as much of her exposed body as she could, while her legs quickly kicked to keep her head above water. She was only a decent swimmer now. Marcus could swim laps around her. Her face burned red.

"Give me back my clothes you fucker!"

His laugh bounced over the water, and he waved her soaking shirt in the air, sending flecks of water out in a circle.

"Got to catch me first."

* * *

She nestled her head in the crook of his neck, feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath. They were in the forest now, lying on a bed of moss, staring up through the canopy at the gently rolling clouds. He laughed, a quiet, content thing, and kissed her forehead. They had swum for a while, Ellie never quite being able to catch him, before retreating to the forest. His fingers trailed up and down her back, and she snuggled closer to him. His voice was hushed and laced with affection and humor.

"You know you can have your clothes back now, right?"

Her hand clamped gently across his mouth as she leaned in to kiss his neck.

* * *

**A/N:**

Hope that helps to offset the unpleasantness of the last chapter. I may do a few more shorts on Marcus's past, I may not. I havent decided. Oh well.

Let me know what you all think, as always every comment is appreciated.

I still need to start the horse riding lesson short. I've been busy finishing up a few others, as well as working on another project, but rest assured I will be trying to draft it up by tomorrow, and probably be asking questions by either then or the day after. All depends on how much free time I have. Sooner or later it will get finished though. As always, expect the next story to be up tomorrow.


	23. Short 10 - Operation Blizzard

**A/N:**

Hey all, a story hot off the presses, as in written about half an hour before publishing it. The idea jumped out of some odd corner of my mind, and I had to write it. Hope you all enjoy!

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

Operation Blizzard

Rating: T [Language]

Summary: [After the main story] Cold and alone…

December 2035

Ellie crashed through the trees, flurries of snow falling heavily towards earth all around. The ground was covered, and her shoes stuck deep into the loosely packed snow as she bounded from tree to tree. Adrenaline burned her veins, and her breath came in ragged pants, condensing into clouds of white vapor before her eyes. She was all alone, and she was being stalked. The hunter was closing in.

She could hear the birds flutter and flee from an approaching figure, and her head whipped around, looking for any semblance of cover. She saw none, and continued to dash deeper into the forest. Joel had abandoned her, disappearing into the tree line an hour ago, leaving her to the harsh climate despite her cries to not abandon her. He simply shouted back that she only slowed him down, and that was that. He was gone. She was alone. And Marcus, well he….

She pressed on, pushing the thoughts out of her mind. The snow fell heavier, coating her dark jacket white, melting into the fabric and causing her to shiver. She had to get away, it couldn't end like this. The snow grew even deeper, and she struggled to keep up her momentum, trudging through the brilliant white, her trail exposed and visible. _It couldn't end like this. Not after everything._ Her mind burned with a singular purpose. She had to get away. The trees swarmed around her, and she desperately tried to erase her tracks. She could hear the hunter continue his relentless pursuit, and she shivered against the frigid breeze. The jeering calls began to filter out across the white landscape.

"C'mon girl, I don't bite. Much."

"I can smell you!"

"You can't run forever!"

The voice held wild glee, and relished terrorizing her. Her options diminished as the snow prevented her from moving quickly, and she knew the man in pursuit was clever enough to use the gouges in the snow she had already made, letting him advance far more rapidly than she could. He was closing by the second.

She had nothing. No weapons, no gear, no chance. _Dammit Dad, after everything…you leave me like this. I thought we were a team..._ She pressed against the frozen bark of a tree, hearing the person bound closer and closer to her. With a bitter gulp Ellie made peace with everything, and dropped to her knees, accepting her fate. She shivered in the cold, acutely aware of the biting temperate seeping through her jeans. She screwed her eyes closed tighter as she heard the crunching of snow just in front of her, and a low laugh echoed over her.

"Just do it you fucker."

She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of begging.

Another laugh sounded out. The man was relishing his victory. She heard him prepare her fate, the low crunching obvious. Silence seemed to envelope her, before she felt the cold powder of a snowball impact her chest, flakes of white spraying her face. She opened her eyes, and Marcus stood in front of her, grandstanding and hopping around in the white at his victory.

"You suck." Her voice was hoarse from the chill air, and he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Says the loser."

He continued his victory dance, his voice breathless and playful.

"Seriously, you just went right after me. What about Joel? Such a pussy way to play man, going after the girl like that."

"Says the loser who tried to make a team in a free for all."

"Fuck off."

"Says the loser!"

She huffed, standing up and brushing the snow off her pants. She walked out to him, playfully shoving her boyfriend.

"Now what?"

He stopped and though.

"Well, now we have to get your dad."

He had no sooner finished the sentence than a snowball flew from behind a tree, bursting over the back of his head. His face seemed to drop, and they saw Joel walk out from behind a tree, another snowball already in his hands. He casually tossed it at Ellie, letting it ark up and burst on the top of her head. His words echoed across the forest, and both teens rolled their eyes.

"I win. You two get to make dinner and clean the house."

* * *

So did I have anyone worried for a bit?

In a new way of doing things (well at least this one time) I'll let you all decide what kind of story goes up next. You have two choices:

1) Some good ol' father daughter fluff.

2) Well, I don't want to spoil the surprise, but let's call it a little bit of Ellie wish fulfilment (and I mean that in an entirely non-sexual way.)

So just let me know which one you all have a craving for, and I'll post it. I suppose if no one comments I get to pick, and if there's a tie I still get to pick. But hopefully neither of those events happen, because that would kind of defeat the purpose of asking for votes, wouldnt it?

As always, lets those comments fly!


	24. Short 11 - Ground Control to Major Ellie

Well, with the votes all tallied it came to 2.5 for 2, and 1.5 for 1 (because someone wanted both, so I did the first thing I could think of, and that was to split their vote down the middle.) Didnt get the one you wanted? Worry not, I'll post it tomorrow.

As the title and summary will suggest, I think you know what's going to happen in this short. To keep it nice and authentic I used a bunch of terms and acronyms that no normal person would know. Dont know them? Good, actually. That's what I was going for. I'm hoping you'll be able to empathize with Ellie because of that. So dont bother switching between the story and google for all the stuff below, it's not vital to the story and only helps to build the mood of confusion. I hope you enjoy!

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

Ground control to major Ellie

Rating: T [language]

Summary: [After the main plot] It's out of this world!

Ellie opened her eyes, and blinked in the bright light filtering through…_something._ Where the fuck was she? She made to sit up, finding it incredibly difficult – impossible even. Was she…was she facing the sky? A cloud rolled by, confirming her suspicions and only increasing her confusion. She could hear mechanical noises, and looked around her. It was a cockpit, or what she thought a cockpit might look like. What in the world was going on?

And what in the hell was she wearing? A bright orange suit enclosed her slim frame, and she noticed her breath lightly fogging against the visor of a helmet. Where was Jackson, where was her room? None of this made sense. Had she been kidnapped? She had only wanted to take a nap. Voices began to filter through an earpiece, the tones garbled and professional.

"Go for auto-sequence."

"Arm cut off, initiate RSL-5."

_What in the actual fuck?_ Her heart began to pound. This didn't make any sense. Hadn't she seen this in a documentary at Tommy's?

"Start SRB APU's….Perform lockout, verify LH2 high point bleed valve closed, terminate MPS helium fill."

Clanks and groans seemed to echo around her.

Another statement filter through, and her blood seemed to turn to electricity in her veins.

"T-minus ten seconds."

A wicked hiss filtered through the cabin from below, and she began to breathe quickly, her sharp exhalations turning her view into a fog. She noticed another flash of orange by her side, and a hand filtered over her helmet, sliding down a darkened visor. She turned to the new person, her eyes widening. _Marcus?_

He spoke quickly, adrenaline making his voice short.

"Get ready Commander. Here we go."

His visor clicked into place, and he turned back to face the sky.

_What. The. Fuck?_

The hiss began to grow louder, and something somewhere slid into place. The noise rose in pitch, and the seconds counted down.

The voices came back, much quicker and strained.

"Main engine three start command."

"Main engine two start command."

"Main engine one start command."

The hiss turned into an inhuman roar, and her world began to shake and buck.

"All engine's check, green for go, on zero."

The voices continued to chatter away over the roar of the inferno below.

The roar grew impossibly loud, and it felt like the world was wrestling with her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and she screwed her eyes shut, wrestling down the confused panic that spiked through her.

"T-minus zero. Ignition!"

The world exploded, and she thought she had died. The bucking became violent, and the world swayed back momentarily, before snapping back upright and dropping away. She felt a fire beneath her - hotter and more intense than hell - and the sharp, violent press of acceleration, her whole body being pressed against the seat behind her. Voices filled her head, straining against the roar to be heard, before quickly dropping off. Seconds of nothing but the roaring of the engines rolled by, before the voices crackled to life again.

"Initiating roll program."

"Check, roll program initiated, switch configuration change. Local horizontal/local vertical."

"Copy. We're at ten-thousand feet and mach point five." That voice sounded familiar too. _Dad!?_

"There's mach one, breaking nineteen-thousand feet."

"Copy, throttling down for MDPR."

The massive pressure lessened, and she slightly opened one eye, her view nothing but clear blue sky thundering past her. Another thump echoed around her, and she was pushed back even more than before.

"Throttling up. MDPR clear. Engines at one-hundred and four percent. Maintaining. One minute into flight."

"Thirty-five thousand, going at one point five. Control?"

"Confirming engines at one-oh-four percent. Roll was good, all checks good, throttle up good. Thumbs up from across the board, stand by for booster separation in t-minus forty-three seconds."

"Copy, standing by for SRB separation."

She felt two thuds, and whatever she was in seemed to jump slightly. She opened her eyes wider, seeing the air howl past the windshield as she continued to roar up, up, up.

"Orbital assist engaged."

She felt the ship, or whatever she was strapped into move and readjust slightly, and the voices continued to crackle and talk as the earth dropped away, listing off all the locations they'd be unable to land at the further away they got. The sky began to deepen and swell, the light blue quickly being replaced by a deep purple transitioning to black.

"Initiating main engine cut off…now. Orbit achieved."

A weight was lifted from the ship's frame, and she felt the restraints lessen, and her hair begin to…to float around her helmet. Thousands of pinpricks of silvered light shone through the windows, and both Joel and Marcus congratulated each other on a successful launch. Her breath came in short gasps, her hair wildly flirting about her helmet. She saw her arm floating off the seat, her fingers splayed out in a lazy pattern. It required no effort. She was floating.

Ellie clawed at her restraints, pulling them off her form and quickly floating away from the seat. She glided towards a window, pressing the visor of her helmet against it. Infinite nothingness stretched across the porthole, all the pokes of light gleaming like diamonds. It stole her breath away. She was gently pulled back from the window, and twisted to see Marcus behind her.

"Hold still commander…there you go."

The helmet was popped off with a hiss, and cold air flooded her nostrils. She couldn't believe it - she was in space. The shuttle serenely rotated, and earth came into view. Her face was back against the glass, her nose cold as it was pressed against the window holding back the vacuum. It seemed to move so slowly, so beautifully. Like a marble dropped in honey, slowly pressing down, every motion gentle and undisturbed.

She couldn't imagine anything better.

"We'll be docking at the station in three days. Time to relax Ellie, we'll be there before you know it." His voice filtered through her ears, though her attention was still fully on the great expanse of blue and green far below. She blinked, her eyes seeming to stay shut for a moment, and time seemed to leap. A voice echoed through her mind.

"Docking in three…two…one…there it is."

She opened her eyes, and a gleaming white station orbited in synch with the ship, and a hiss filled the air as the station and ship docked and traded oxygen. That was…odd. They had said three days, but it only felt like seconds. Ellie looked around and pushed away from the window. Marcus floated up to her.

"We're here. First crew that's been up here in a month. At least they left the lights on. C'mon commander, you've got to get ready.

She blinked, puzzled.

"Get ready for what?"

Joel floated up behind her, letting out a short laugh at her bemusement.

"Your spacewalk. Got to make sure everything's still in one piece out there."

The breath seemed to be sucked from her lungs. Out there? They were really tossing her out there?

Joel guided her through the hatch of the station, and floated her along white, antiseptic corridors, tiny labs situated on each side. They came to a room lined with thick white suits, the helmets colored gold. She felt her hair being tied into a tight ponytail, her bangs being pinned to the sides of her head.

"Out there you won't be able to scratch any itch commander. Best make sure there's nothing in the way."

She didn't fight Joel or Marcus as they eased her into the suit. She was far too stunned to do anything. Her mind wheeled and raced for answers, finding none and simply grinding to a halt. Out there, they were fucking sending her out there. The helmet was placed over her head, and locked in position. She could feel them tinkering with the large backpack attached to the suit, and the cool whir of air began to circulate around her, an industrial, recycled odor to it.

"Alright Ellie, get into the airlock and get into the MMU. You don't want to be floating off on us now, do you?"

She pushed away, her muscles simply following the other's commands, propelling herself into a small chamber with the maneuvering units lining the walls. They were giving her a freaking jetpack. The hatch shut behind her, and she could hear locks grinding into place. Joel's voice sounded over an intercom.

"That's it Ellie, now just ease back into one."

She did as she was told, the forearms of the pack comfortably situated right below hers. Things clicked into place, and she glided away from the wall, the heavy suit and maneuvering unit so light as to almost seem to not even be there. She could hear more noises, muted from the thick padding of the suit, and the air was drained out of the chamber, the hatch slowly opening to complete nothingness.

"Now ease on out commander. Just push the left stick slightly, don't hold it. There you go."

Again her body functioned on autopilot, and she saw her padded hand tap the instruments, and a slight, almost unnoticeable, kick pushed into her as she was gently propelled out the hatch.

Space consumed her, and she floated a little further from the station, her hands moving on their own and commanding the machine to angle her back towards the space station.

"Okay Ellie. Now, get that check done quick, and then you might even have enough time to just relax out there."

She let out a breath, the thought that she had no idea _what_ to check for bubbling up to the surface. She closed her eyes, and time seemed to break again.

"Nice job Ellie, everything's in one piece. You've got plenty of air out there, take a few to enjoy the view. Radio us if you need anything."

_What? Nice job?_ _I didn't DO anything._

She opened her eyes, seeing herself floating around an entirely different part of the station. How long had time warped for?

She turned around, and the view made her stop questioning things entirely. The stars seemed so much closer and brighter without the glass of the station or shuttle in the way. Everything was so still, so peaceful. She floated in the nothingness, her mind quickly calming down and slipping into a trance-like state. The stars twinkled for her, and she let her eyes gently trail across the infinite horizon, the limitlessness of space soothing her battered soul. She felt a peace she had never expected to find anywhere else besides Marcus's arms, and an almost comforting aloneness. Now there were two words she had never expected to use together. Comforting. Alone.

Ellie let time drip by, staring out at the vista of the universe before her. It seemed like she was looking at a spilt hourglass – all the minute flecks of sand being poured out onto a dark tapestry. She felt a deep peace rise up from inside her, and her breaths became shallow as she gently tapped the stick, propelling her towards the myriad of lights. She closed her eyes as she floated, sinking into her suit and seeming to mold with the fabric, feeling the void of space both itch and sooth her skin. The stars seemed to burn bright, blinking and winking through her eyelids. She could hear a faint voice as she slipped deeper and deeper into a trance.

"Ellie."

She continued to drift, becoming so very tired.

"Ellie."

She only wished she was out here with Marcus and Joel. They could all just drift away together and find a new place to live, so far away from the bandits, the infected, the pain and suffering and loss. They could drift away and leave all their pain behind. Just be happy and alone – together.

"Ellie…"

She opened her eyes, the darkness of space being replaced by a wooden ceiling. She felt her pillow beneath her head, and her blankets drawn around her figure. Marcus was by her side, gently prodding her shoulder. He smiled down at her as she looked around the room.

"Hey there babe. Joel said he needs our help fixing dinner. Sorry I had to wake you – you looked peaceful as hell."

She shook her head and waved him away, whispering that she would be down in a minute. He shrugged and walked out, leaving the door open. The sounds and smells of cooking wafted through the open door, and she stretched, before leaning back into bed, feeling the sheets hug and caress her body. She smiled, letting her mind wander back to the station and the wonderful nothingness so high above. She closed her eyes, and the pinpricks of silver shone in her mind, constellations of serenity popping out at her.

It was all just a dream…

* * *

Well, I hope you liked it. Call it a labor of love. She wanted to go to space, I live about an hour away from where the shuttles (used) to launch, and there we go. A bunch of the dialogue was pulled right from NASA transcripts of old launches, so it's pretty damn authentic, aside from a few cuts in the interest of not dragging the whole thing down in technical mumbo-jumbo any more than I did. Plus, I just get the feeling Ellie would be one to have those really vivid dreams, without actually being aware they're dreaming. She's the imaginative type for it, that's for sure.

Now, questions time. It was asked how Joel snuck up on them in the last short. Well, because he's Joel. That's what he does. Couple that with them being too preoccupied either gloating or bitching, and there you go.

As always let me know what you think, and the next one will be up tomorrow. Trust me, if you liked Butterflies, than tomorrow's short will make your heart all warm and fuzzy.


	25. Short 12 - What Day is it Again?

I cranked the fluff up to elven for this one. Enjoy everybody.

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

What day is it again?

Rating: T [language]

Summary: [After the main plot] Hey, thanks and stuff.

September, 2035

The day was a bright, sunny blue, and clouds listless rolled far overhead. Joel reclined into the rough wooden chair perched on his back porch, his gaze trailing over the edge of the wall to roll up and down the hills. It was a beautiful day, and he was at peace. Marcus had disappeared up to the dam at Tommy's request, and the aging man had gotten to spend some quality time with his adoptive daughter, the two spending most of yesterday relaxing together, before joining his younger brother and wife for a good home cooked meal. For reasons unknown she had darted off after supper, wandering home a few hours later. It was only just becoming noon, and he was letting Ellie sleep in. Funny, he thought, how for as much as he tried to be stern with her he still couldn't help but spoil his baby girl with extra sleep and all the fatherly affection he could muster up from his battered soul.

He smiled to himself, closing his eyes and stretching his arms behind his head. He breathed in, the cool air relaxing and comfortable. Fall had crept up on them, and Jackson was bathed in a constant refreshing breeze. It was just one of those days where everything seemed to click into place. No one was shooting at them, Ellie had gone to bed with one of her patented grins on her face, and life simply felt…right.

He moved a hand to gently trail over a section of pale skin on his wrist. He no longer wore the watch. It was kept on his nightstand, carefully draped on the picture frame that held his deceased daughter's image. He hoped that if she were watching him now she was smart enough to realize that him not wearing it didn't mean a damn thing. He still loved his Sarah all the same. Always had, always would. But he had learned a thing or two from Ellie. Grasping on to trinkets only made things worse. All that mattered were the memories you had. You keep those, and you've got everything. If she were still alive he'd still be wearing it, but only because it was a gift she gave him. He knew she'd understand why he didn't, and he knew she'd be more than happy to have a sister. She was like that.

He heard the door open and shut, and felt cool fingertips press into the muscles of his forearms. They prodded him, and he lazily opened one eye.

"Hey…hey old man. Dad. Wakey wakey."

Ellie hovered nearby, still in her pajamas, poking him to get his attention. He sat up in the chair, and turned his head to her.

"I don't poke _you_ awake, do I?"

She shook her head, a grin forming at his challenge.

"No. You send Marcus up to do it so I bitch at him. You're crafty like that, but don't think I don't fucking see through it."

He chuckled and she grinned wider, walking around in front of him, her figure outline by the blue of the sky. She seemed slightly excited at something, and he woke up just a bit more.

"What's up baby girl?"

She shifted from foot to foot, and sucked in a check before letting it go with a pop.

"So…I call you dad now, right?"

He nodded slightly, and she continued.

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you uh…would be open to another name?"

What the hell had gotten into her?

"And that would be?"

She paused, clasping he hands together, trying to keep a smile off her face.

"Uh…I was thinking grandpa?"

In half a second his blood was on fire, and adrenaline coursed through his veins. He was standing in an instant, and Ellie looked up at him, her eyes wide and her face frozen in shocked amusement.

"Call me what now?! You best not be pregnant at sixteen."

Her reply was quiet, and meek. A snicker escaped her lips as she spoke.

"April fools…"

He lifted a finger, struggling to find words to throw at her. His voice died in his throat several time, and when it remained it was quiet and still held tinges of shock.

"Ellie, it ain't even April."

She bit her lip, a foolish grin threatening to break out.

"That's…that's why you never saw it coming."

He sat back down, staring at her goofy expression, letting a sharp breath hiss from between his teeth. _Damn kids._ He only kept his temper because he remembered he had done the exact same thing to his parents. With a grunt he realized he had told Ellie that story last weekend. The clever, though slightly unoriginal girl.

"Did you just come out here to give me a heart attack?"

His voice relaxed back into its gravely drawl, and she shook her head, her eyes still alight.

"No. I was talking with Maria last night after dinner, and out of nowhere Tommy told me you were born in September, so I…well I thought I should get you something. You know, you being my dad and all. A uh…birthday present, I think that's what they were called. That's where I disappeared to last night."

He blinked, cocking his head at his daughter as she continued to shift from foot to foot. She was nervous. If it wasn't so adorable he might have told her he'd have loved anything she got him. She spoke quickly, her voice rushed on by her jumpiness at giving him a gift.

"You know you're a bitch to shop for Dad. It's like you don't like anything. I mean seriously, what the hell do you like anyways?"

He cleared his throat, the words coming before his mind processed them.

"I love you. That's about it."

The words rocked her, and she seemed slightly stunned before a ridiculous smiled broke across her face, her cheeks coloring red. He couldn't help but grin back. She kicked at the wooden deck.

"Well fuck. You sure do know how to make a girl feel like a daughter."

His voice remained quiet.

"Feel? Ellie you _are_ my daughter."

She seemed to melt in front of him, and he counted it as a win in his book. She recollected herself, and held up a finger for him to wait. She darted back into the house, and returned with a package in her hands, wrapped in old magazine pages duct taped together. She held it out to him, her cheeks puffed with anticipation.

"Here. Open it."

He took the box, and gently ripped the pages away. It was an old, battered cardboard box, the lid barely sticking on. He pulled it off, and reached his hand in. The fingers brushed against cool leather, and he pulled out a worn cowboy hat. She self-consciously grinned at him as he studied it.

"It's not 'designer,'" her fingers curled into air quotes at the word, "but I figured with you being from Texas, well you have the guns and the guitar, Jackson has the horses, that hat's the last missing puzzle piece to make you one hell of a stereotype. If you like it I mean."

He put the hat on, adjusting it to block out the rays of sunshine, leaning back and looking up at his daughter. His eyes were shadowed, and he let a grin crawl up one side of his face.

"How do I look?"

She took a step back, one hand on her chin as she looked him over.

"Pretty badass dad. The beard helps."

He laughed, and she scooted next to him, dragging a stool over to sit down on. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she twisted to kiss the top of his hand.

"I made you a card too."

The nervousness was back, and suddenly a flimsy piece of paper was thrust at him, Ellie holding it as if it would turn around and bite her. He took it, and peeled it open. The words were carefully written in neat lines. She was a stickler for that sort of thing. It read:

Dear Dad, Joel, Old man ect ect,

So it's your birthday. Happy birthday! (I'm really bad at this shit.) I just wanted to let you know that I wouldn't be the girl I am today (or alive for that matter,) if it wasn't for you. You didn't have to keep going with me. You had hundreds (fuck, thousands) of chances to leave me behind. But you never did. Even the hospital, you were still there. I know I hated you, or tried to after that, but I just want to say I've never been more thankful for anything in my life. Well, except for you being my dad and all now. That's pretty fucking cool. I guess I seem like I'm rambling, but seriously, I love you old man. I don't know what you saw in me, and I hope you don't regret the things you did, but I just want to let you know that my heart still melts in that mushy way when you call me baby girl. Father-daughter moments are awesome. I never really had a father, and for the longest time didn't want one. But now I couldn't imagine life without one. I couldn't imagine life without you. So thanks for being my dad, and stuff. You rock.

Love (haha seriously you've made me fucking sentimental now),

Ellie

Joel laid the piece of paper in his lap, and Ellie looked up at him expectantly, her eyes wide and open.

"Did you…like it?"

He didn't say anything, and simply tugged at her, dragging her up and into his lap. His arms wrapped around her and she was promptly crushed by one of his rare hugs. His beard tickled the side of her face and she giggled incessantly. His voice was muffled, his usual gruff exterior dissipating for the moment.

"Thank you Ellie, so much."

Just like she had admitted in the card her heart melted, and she smiled wide, hugging her father back.

"I love you too Dad."


	26. Short 13 - Music

Below the title will be a rating, given to each individual short. It has nothing to do with the rating for the story as a whole. Some of my shorts do have adult content for example, and those are certainly not a T. Next to the rating will be a description of why it had been given that, so you could, for example, read an M rated story about violence as opposed to a M rated story about more intimate matters. Simple, right? What you read is entirely dependant on your comfort levels, though rest assured I will not be writing something so sexually graphic it reads like a porn novel. That's simply not my style.

Below the rating will be a summary, and it will tell you a few things: When the story in question takes place (before/during/after the main plot), and a usually cryptic message about what the story is about. (Because I can. No need to come out and ruin all the fun by giving a plain description.)

* * *

Music

Rating: T

Summary: After the main story. He said he'd get it to work.

September 2035

The dam hummed with the going about of people. Jackson had built up a small team of engineers and they monitored the aging dam night and day, constantly making quick, ad hoc repairs to keep the electricity flowing. Teams of guards manned the towers and patrolled the surroundings. The dam was a good day's hike from Jackson, and was by far the more vulnerable of the two. Marcus walked around the courtyard, trailing lazy circles in the dirt, attempting to mitigate boredom. Tommy had asked him to spend the weekend up there, and do a few sweeps of the surrounding area at night. A few guards had reported seeing movement in the middle of the night, and no one wanted bandits to be pushing their noses where they didn't belong. The dam belonged to Jackson, and everyone intended to keep it that way. That's why he was there. Marcus was no superhero, but the town was hard pressed to find a better tracker than the once child-soldier.

Unfortunately for the teen the sun had barely reached its zenith. Night time was a long ways off. He gave up his lazy wandering, and sat down on a crate, yawning deeply. He missed Ellie, and it had only been a day since he left to hike up here. They should be spooning right about now. Attachment was a bitch. A man called Cathcart approached him. He was in charge of the patrols and guards of the dam. He certainly looked the part, his imposing figure wide and stocky.

"You look bored son."

Son. He hated being called that.

"Well, not much in the way of entertainment here."

Marcus relaxed against the crate, boredom attempting to cripple his form. The older man let a rare, thin smile pierce his lips. The boy was a wanderer through and through. He must hate staying in one place any longer than necessary. Funny how Tommy had told him the boy was a dear friend of the family and had been associated with Joel's girl for over a year. She must be something special to him to keep a person like that chained up.

"You ever play around on a computer?"

Cathcart wasn't usually so forthcoming with the dam's technology, but if the boy was here to do them a favor it was the least the old guard could do. A good turn deserved a good turn.

"A what?"

Marcus seemed to think hard on the word, and Cathcart laughed.

"That answers that. Follow me."

He motioned the boy up, and led him into the dam itself. The hum of electricity engulfed them, and Cathcart led him deeper into the concrete machine. A rusted door gave way to a few computers, a couple of engineers manning the dimly flickering consoles. One was vacant. He gestured for Marcus to sit at it. He did so, and the old guard brought up a window, a few things listed on its white screen.

Minesweeper

Solitaire

Pinball

Chess

"Mess around with those, and only with those things. You break this place and you can explain it all to Maria. After you fix it."

Marcus held up his hands in compliance, and moved the mouse like he had seen Cathcart, clicking on the first game that seemed familiar. Minesweeper. He had helped lay mines before. Maybe he would be good at it.

Twenty minutes later he hammered the close button, holding back an urge to put his fist through the screen. Fucking stupid game. He leaned back, letting a sharp breath out. He turned his gaze down to study the computer itself. The machine was battered and worn. Probably a miracle it still worked. There were gouges in the plastic, and the paint of the casing was scratched off in most places. There were two indentations that looked like they were made for something and…wait.

He got out of the chair, dropping to his knees to study the slots. They looked familiar. It hit him, and he grabbed at his backpack, fishing out the battered black rectangle he had show Ellie so long ago, along with the cord he had found with it. One of the sides looked like it was made for the plug, and her carefully pushed it in, hearing a faint snap as it clicked into place.

I knew I'd get it to work one day!

His mind began to race. Who knew what was on the thing. He quickly plugged the other end into the rectangle, fishing back into his backpack for the headphones that went with it. They were buried, and he dragged them out, quickly working at untangling them. He glanced at the rectangle, and saw that parts of it had lit up. It worked! He knew it!

He waited a few minutes for it to gather some semblance of a charge before pressing the buttons until something happened. After several tries the screen lit up, the small machine starting up. Words filled it, and he began poking around, slowly figuring out how to work it. Things fell into place, and he navigated to the music section. Licking his lips with nervousness he put the headphones on and pressed one of the songs…

* * *

The weekend was over, and Marcus had wandered back. He had quickly pulled Ellie aside, and the two had disappeared up to her room for a while. Joel relaxed in the kitchen, pushing food around on his plate as he let the day's work drain from his muscles. The thumping of stairs sounded, and the young couple appeared at his side, eager looks on their faces. Ellie spoke first.

"Hey dad, what's a Skrillex and why does all its music sound broken?"

* * *

**A/N:**

Hey all, unfortunately I've been struck by a massive case of a hectic life and writer's block due to stress. I certainly didn't plan on this happening, but it is what it is. Luckily I was able to finish the main story. I'll continue to post up the few stories I still have left, and will certainly try and keep reviewing the stories I said I would, but I don't think I'll be able to produce any new content for a while. Which is a shame, but it is what it is.


	27. Short 14 - In the Pocket

In the pocket

Rating: T

Summary: After the main story Solids and stripes

* * *

October 2035

Jackson's recreation center was situated alongside the warehouse. It was where the men and women of the town went to blow off steam when they could. It helped that it was located in an old bowling alley, and as long as the power worked so did the lanes. But that's not what Joel had dragged his two younger companions to play tonight. Tonight he intended to teach them a new game. Marcus and Ellie crowded around the pool table, watching Joel intently as he chalked up his cue. He set it against the worn felt of the table, and handed the two teen cues of their own. They studied the battered sticks intently. Marcus was the first to comment.

"I…I think I've killed someone with one of these before. I always assumed it was just a shitty spear/sword thing."

His voice held quite a bit of bemusement. Old habits died hard, and everything was a weapon first and foremost. The wooden stick's use for fun seemed to still escape him, and he swung the cue about like a sword. Ellie watched him attentively, and began to mimic him, the two quickly beginning to have an odd combination of jousting and melee occurring before Joel's eyes.

"Cut the shit." His voice was gravely. They were only there for two minutes and already making a scene. He should have realized what he was getting himself into. The two teens stopped, sheepishly looking down at the felted table.

"Sorry," Ellie replied, kicking at the scuffed floor, "we saw it in a movie."

Joel shook his head, and began to dig the balls out from under the table. One by one they were rolled onto the green surface, and Joel slid the rack over to Ellie.

"Put the balls inside, solids don't touch stripes and the eight ball goes in the center. Got it?"

She nodded, "got it," and began to place the balls, messing the order up then correcting it with a silent curse. The balls were properly ordered, and she slid the rack back to Joel. He centered it, then moved the rack away, leaving the neat triangle of colored balls to sit patiently on the felt. Joel placed the cue ball away, and stepped back to eye the two teens.

"First off you want to break. All that means is you hit this," he gestured towards the cue ball, "into that," he pointed at the triangle of balls. "Sound simple enough?"

They nodded, and he stepped up to demonstrate, delivering a solid hit to the cue ball and sending it careening into its stripped and solid friends. The hit was good, and the balls burst from their formation.

"Now you take turns hitting at the balls. First person to hit one in has to go for the balls of that type. You hit a solid in, you go after solids. You hit a stripe in the pocket, you go after stripes."

He set his cue back in the rack and leaned against the wall. Joel gestured at Ellie.

"You're up first baby girl. Take a swing at it."

She bit her lip, stepping up to the table, studying the array of balls. With careful precision she line up a shot, and sent her cue slamming into the white ball with all her might. It skipped up, bouncing over the table and careened right into Marcus's groin. He collapsed with a thud and a whimper, and Ellie stood wide eyed at the accidental pain she had inflicted. With a hand covering her mouth she scooted around the table to help her boyfriend. Joel rolled his eyes. He couldn't see the wounded teen, but he heard sputtering and cursing from below the table.

"Holy shit I'm sorry. Fuck, are you ok?"

She leaned in, and Joel saw a flash of wood as a cue seemed to leap up from the floor, striking her between the legs too. She dropped with a thud as well, and two sets of swearing and moaning could be heard over the music from the rest of the place.

"You…asshole."

"Yeah fuck you too."

"It was an accident!"

"So was that."

Joel sighed deeply as the couple dragged themselves to their feet, weakly limping over to a few bar stools and collapsing in them. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

**A/N:**

Alright, well first things first, holy shit it's been almost a month since I've been able to update.

Life got hard, and I mean hard. Had to deal with a very unfortunate breakup of a long relationship, on top of starting university and rushing for a fraternity. So my plate's been more than a little full.

It still is, especially if I get a call back for greek life. So let me say for the record I can't promise updates at all, let alone a time-table for them. I don't like that, but I wont put out sub-par work. I hope you all understand. I havent even logged on here since my last update, or read any reviews or left any of my own, just to give a sense of how bad things got. I simply didn't have the energy to, and then when I did I had to put every drop of it towards getting acclimated to school.

With all the negativity out-of-the-way, I will try to write when I have the time. I'm sure my skills are rusty, but hopefully they'll come back. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this, I know it's short, but better than nothing, right?


	28. Short 15 - New Boy in Town

New boy in town

Rating: M [innuendo]

Summary: After the main story. Like moths to a flame, everyone's run into _that_ guy.

* * *

June 2035

Ellie walked down the main street, her shoes kicking up dust in her wake. A bag was clutched in her hands. How this place managed to always be so dusty was beyond her. It was nearing noon – the sun was almost at its highest point, and she had promised Marcus she would bring him lunch at the main gate at midday. Actually no, promised was bullshit – she had lost a bet and had to cart out a home cooked meal every day for a week to him. The lucky bastard.

The gate drew nearer, and she could see the figures of the guards loitering in the scant shade of the wall. Marcus was out hunting, and would be back soon for his lunch. She hurried down the street, before an unfamiliar voice stopped her.

"Hey!"

She looked around, the call obviously directed at her. A boy about her age stood in the shade of a house's porch, and he eagerly peered at her. His face was unfamiliar – a new boy. _Oh great, here we go._ This never ended well. In her experience they never just wanted to be friends.

"Hey?" Her voice slightly rose in pitch, the 'what the fuck do you want' going unsaid, but implied. The boy stepped out of the shade, rising to his full height, towering over her and seeming to lean back and study her. He wore a confident smile, and had his shirt rolled up to his shoulders.

"I'm new here. Name's Drew. Care to show me around town?" His voice was slow and cocky. This obviously wasn't the first girl he had tried to woo.

Ellie rolled her tongue around her mouth, trying to think of a politely rude way to tell him off. His eyes continued to dart up her body, pausing at certain points of her anatomy momentarily to enjoy the view. _Prick._

She took a breath, looking around her. "Sure. There's the main gate." She pointed to the break in the wall with the bag, and then gestured around her with her free hand. "And there's the rest of the town. Glad I could help."

She made to walk away, but he took a big step after her, his hand catching her shoulder. Ellie bristled. She didn't like being touched by assholes. The smell might rub off on her.

"Well that's a hell of a way to welcome me in. I never even got your name."

His grip was possessive, and her temper began to rise.

"I know." She practically hissed at him. He let go, and waved his hands in defeat.

"Well shit, sorry. Didn't mean any offense."

She began to let her temper settle back to normal, before he opened his mouth again.

"Just couldn't help trying to talk to you. I mean, not many girls can pull off the sexy survivor look in this world. Most are pretty damn fucked looking."

He laughed, and she bit her lip. He was winning all the douche bag points. He continued on.

"But not you. My dad talked to that Maria lady. She said anyone around town would be happy to help us settle in. You're around town…so I just figured you'd be happy to…help."

It was apparent what he wanted help with. She was getting tired of the bullshit. Time to cut to the chase.

"I have a boyfriend."

The boy stopped and blinked. That made things more difficult. But the way this girls clothes hugged her body, she seemed worth it. And he knew that glint in her eyes – she was definitely freaky in the sheets.

"Ah, well that's too bad. I know how to treat a lady. She _always_ comes first."

Ellie's temper flared, and her nails dug into the bag. At this rate she would make sure that he could never "come" again. She glanced to the gate, relief momentarily flooding her system as she saw Marcus walk through the gate, her heart sinking when he didn't notice her and began talking and laughing with one of the guards. Drew didn't follow her eyes, his too busy trailing down her body again. His mind congratulated itself on this new catch.

* * *

"I shit you not man, the cockiest motherfucker I've ever seen strutted through the gate this morning. Guy couldn't be any older than you. He showed up with his dad, and Maria left the ass with me while she and the old man went around town to find an open house. Within five minutes he's bragging about how good he is at the two F's – fighting and fucking."

Marcus raised his eyebrows. Most people behaved around here, for the sole fact that laws against murder were no longer in existence. Jackson survived by the people being neighborly to each other. Hearing this news from his friend was certainly out of the ordinary.

"You sure he wasn't bullshitting?"

The guard shook his head, his eyes wide with exasperation.

"Fuuuuck no. After he lists what he's good at he starts asking about 'the tail around here.' He must think he's some kind of porn star gladiator. "

That bordered on the ridiculous. Majority of the girls were already with someone in this town, and this new face would get an irate boyfriend coming down on him in no time. A second guard walked up, clasping the first on the shoulder and flashing Marcus a smile. He got along with most of them just fine. The second guard turned to him.

"Hey man, did Jacob tell you about the newest addition to our fine town?"

Marcus nodded, and the second guard seemed to grimace a bit.

"Well I think it's prudent to let you know that our newfound gift from god is chatting up Ellie. He ain't taking no for an answer either. I know she's one hell of a spitfire, but you might want to get yourself over there and uh…introduce yourself."

Marcus followed the guard's outstretched finger, and saw Ellie in the shadow of a house, a boy towering over her. He rolled his eyes in frustration, and handed his rifle to Jacob.

"Hold this. I don't need the temptation."

His backpack was left at the guard post as well, and he began to walk towards the two figures.

* * *

"For the last time, I have a boyfriend and I don't give a shit about you and your fucking story. Besides, I'm quite satisfied as is."

The new boy had quickly burned through her temper, and was a minute away from being hit. She looked towards the gate again, and saw a figure stalking towards them. This 'Drew' had no idea what was coming. She smirked. The couple had a deal – Marcus got to deal with the new guys that wouldn't back off, and she got to deal with the new girls that tried to jump her boyfriend's bones.

"Hey, I'm not trying to break you two up. Just give me one night, and decide for yourself. Life's too short to only enjoy one flavor. You don't like mine, and no one will ever know – especially your boyfriend."

Drew noticed her smirk and smirked back, thinking he had convinced her, before he noticed her gaze and followed her eyes, seeing another teen closing in on them. Marcus stopped in front of the two, looking from Ellie to Drew and back. Ellie turned her eyes back to the new boy, her smirk widening.

"This is him."

Marcus held out his hand to the new face, letting Drew shake it, feeling him squeeze down and try to crush his hand in a pathetic attempt at asserting dominance. Marcus let his hand throb with pain, keeping his grip weak. Drew let a predatory smile spread across his lips, and he turned his head to Ellie, arrogance now swimming in his eyes.

"You can do better than this." He had just gone all in.

"And what makes you say that?"

Marcus's voice was even. Ellie took a small step back. She knew her boyfriend, and he had already plotted a way to kill the new blood. She didn't want to get in the way.

"You hardly look like you'd be good in a fight. I had to cut through dozens of infected and hunters with my dad to get here. What have you done?"

Marcus nodded slightly before speaking. "I kicked the shit out of this guy once."

Drew rolled his eyes. _One_ – he had been in _one_ fight. What a coddled fuck. This girl needed a man, especially if that handshake was anything to go by.

"And who was he, some cripple?" His voice was laced with challenge. Marcus narrowed his eyes and let a smile spread across his face.

"Well, what's your name?"

The boy rose to his full height, a head taller than Marcus. His muscles coiled and uncoiled on his arms, and he cut an imposing figure. His voice was quite and threatening.

"You get one free hit on me you little fuck. I'm going to teach you some manners. Then I'm going to fuck your girlfriend after she dumps your ass."

Marcus shrugged, holding up his left hand and extending two fingers in a peace sign. Drew blinked, his muscles ready to take a punch. What was this bitch doing?

The hand blurred, and he felt the two fingers shove into his nose, pressing deep into his nostrils, the finger nails biting into the sensitive flesh. He pushed and pushed until he had slammed the new boys head back against a post. The pain brought tears to his eyes, and he froze. One flick of Marcus's arm and his nose would be broken.

"You never give someone one free hit. Now shake my hand again."

Her boyfriend's voice was still quiet and even. A few townsfolk stopped and stared at the spectacle. Marcus had extended his right hand again, and the new boy was forced to shake it, his grip still strong despite the pain that coursed through his face. Marcus moved his hand slightly, and the boy yelped as he felt the tendons and joints being crushed in a viciously unfair grip. The fingers were pulled out of his nose, and he collapsed to his knees as the iron grip continued to grind the bones of his hand together. His yelp turned to a silent scream, his mouth thrown open as he drowned in pain. Something snapped, and his hand seemed to collapse, the digits dislocated but not broken. Ellie sighed – the fool had learned his lesson.

"Down boy."

Her voice was filled with dark humor, and Marcus let go of Drew's hand, the teen curling it against his body as he rolled into the fetal position. She stepped over him and began to walk down the street, motioning for Marcus to follow. His nostrils flared, and he stared down at the teen like a rabid dog that had cornered his wounded prey. He leaned down towards drew, his voice a hiss.

"Make her uncomfortable again and I'll skull fuck you with your own dick. We clear?"

The boy quickly nodded, his face still contorted in agony. Marcus let another breath flare through his nose, before standing up and walking away. He caught up with Ellie, and she shook her head and laughed.

"You told him you'd skull fuck him with his own dick, didn't you?"

He nodded and she laughed even louder, letting the anger from earlier drain from her system.

"Man you have a weird obsession with tearing other guy's dicks off and shoving them in strange places."

"I don't hear you complaining."

His tone had returned to normal, a hint of humor laced in it.

"Complaining about what?"

She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"About all the strange places I can stick a dick."

Her face burned red, and she smacked his arm with the paper bag, hearing him laugh as she desperately looked around to see if anyone had overheard.

* * *

**A/N:**

Well, here's a somewhat longer short than usual. Speaking of, I'm starting to run out of ideas for short stories. I'm still working on two (including the horse riding one, which is proving to be difficult), with two more actually finished. If anyone has any ideas for a short feel free to either post it in a review or pm me. I'll happily give credit where credit is due if I end up using your idea. But if for some reason I don't use it, don't think it's because I didn't like it. I only write things if I feel that I'm able to (well, I admit the horse riding one has gone through about 20 re-writes by now.)

Besides that, I can confirm that the sequel to the main story is having some big progress made on it. Once I get enough of it written where I have some wiggle room if life gets to busy for me to post, I'll begin to post the sequel. Just to let everyone know, I'm planning on just positing it in this story, my logic being that it wont make a bit of sense to anyone who hasn't read the first one, and I don't expect people to flip back to another story. So it'll all be in one convenient location.

Sorry for the ramblings, life is hectic at the moment. As always, leave those comments and reviews. It's been so long, I forgot how good they feel!


	29. Short 16 - Gitty up, Buttercup

**A/N:**

Okay, it's finally done. So many rewrites...

I'm definitely not a knowledgable horse person, or even a farm person. I'm afraid that shows, no matter how many times I scrap and rewrite this. So I'll put this out here and hope it's at least tolerated.

A big, big shout out to both BlueSky509 and Madalyn1000. This story would not exist without their help in what to actually do to ride a horse.

*sneaky pre-upload edit* It seems that fanfiction's spellchecker is down at the moment. So if for some reason my grammar is horrible...well hell, word told me it was ok.

* * *

Gitty up Buttercup

Rating: T [Language]

Summary: [After the main plot] You sure they don't bite?

* * *

June 2035

The spare paddock was empty save for two figures leading two horses to the center. Hard packed dirt surrounded them, sprigs of grass pocking up through the brown ground. This was where the horses were ridden when taking them outside the walls was not prudent. Ellie had promised Marcus she'd teach him to ride properly, and it was time to fulfill that request.

"I'm still not convinced they don't bite."

He eyed his horse suspiciously, as it lazily looked around the paddock. Ellie approached it, running her hand up and down its snout, and the creature seemed to relax as she relieved the itches flies had caused. The sun beat down on the paddock, and the air seemed to shimmer and swim around them. They wouldn't have too long to practice out here, no one had seen fit to put any water in this paddock.

"Well then don't give it a reason to if you're not convinced. Okay look, we've got to get to it. First things first, you don't try to get on by fucking belly flopping against it over and over like you did last year."

The boy rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms as his girlfriend smirked at him.

"Alright then, oh guru of horses. How the fuck do I get on one?"

Ellie walked over to her horse, and shook her head as she got a firm grip on the saddle. He could be so stubborn sometimes. She shot him a glance, and made sure he was watching.

"Like…" She tightened her grip, and put one foot in the stirrup, stepping up and slinging her leg over the horse, letting her other foot nestle into the other stirrup. "This."

Marcus approached his horse, and wiggled the saddle on the horse's back to make sure it was secure. He gulped, and hoisted himself up, awkwardly shooting his leg over the horse and letting it kick around till it found the stirrup.

"How's that?"

He looked over to Ellie, and saw her gently move her horse towards him.

"Well you get an A for effort. I'd say a D for style."

He let out a chuckle as he situated himself in the saddle.

"Didn't fail, didn't fall, don't care."

That earned a deep sigh from Ellie, and she nodded towards the rest of the paddock.

"Okay, now we get the horse to move. Any guess how you do that?"

Marcus licked his lips, wiping his brown in the boiling sun.

"Is this the part where I kick the horse till it does something?"

"No, that's the part we call animal abuse. Look, you just squeeze your legs together, and it'll start to move."

As Ellie spoke she pushed her legs into the horse, and it began a lazy canter forwards. She looked over her shoulder, and miraculously saw Marcus not far behind, his grip on the reigns iron. Of everything that could scare her boyfriend, it was fucking horses.

"Good! Now get it to turn."

He was making progress. Maybe he would actually get the basics down today. Her hopes sank as he attempted to follow her command.

"Turn. Horse…turn. Horse! Fucking turn! I am your human and I command you to turn!"

His bellowing did nothing, probably because the horse didn't speak English, and the beast continued to trot forwards. Ellie turned to him in the saddle, and made a tugging motion with the reigns.

"Pull them dumbass! That's what they're freaking there for."

The entire time he had kept his arms locked, his fingers tightly clutched to the reigns. He must have confused them with a lifeline. Her words echoed in his mind, and he slowly tugged on one of the reigns, pulling the horse's head and causing it to walk in that direction. A ridiculous grin spread across his face as he made the horse walk in a lazy circle. He slowly angled it so the horse trailed an oval around Ellie's mount, and she shook her head as he made a different face each time he trotted in front of her. Each face was followed by a single word.

"I."

"Can."

"Fucking."

"Ride."

"Now."

"Suck."

"it."

"Ellie."

She rolled her eyes at his sudden change in behavior. In his mind just trotting made him a master, and the glint in his eyes told her he felt untouchable. She was in that certain mood. Maybe it was the heat. Time to shatter his world for five minutes.

"Then make it go faster."

Her words were deadpan, and the grin dropped off his face.

"What?"

"You can ride now. Make it go faster."

He looked down at the reigns, then up at her.

"Well I…I mean I like this pace. It's relaxing…"

He continued to circle her, and she turned her head to follow him until he moved to far behind her, twisting the other way to meet his gaze as soon as he had come around. The cockiness was gone from his expression. She shook her head and smiled. He was learning, she had to give him that. She moved her horse out of his oval, and Marcus tugged on the reigns to get his steed to follow her. She let him catch up, and they walked around the outskirts of the paddock.

They rode in silence, simply tracing along the perimeter, enjoying each other's company. The sun reached its zenith, and by the way she was baking, Ellie imagined the horses could go for some rest.

"Well, we should head back in. Don't want these things cooking after all."

She heard a strange sound from Marcus, and turned to look at him.

"I was actually starting to enjoy myself."

Ellie laughed, and shook her head. She began to walk back towards the stable, and heard her boyfriends horse turn and follow. It could have gone worse, she thought. No one died. And hey, Marcus having fun on a horse... Now that was something. She'd have said the world must be ending, if it hadn't already.

Next time she'd make him go faster.

* * *

**A/N:**

Believe it or not that was the most difficult thing I've written so far. I had an easier time figuring out how to write the ending to the main storyline. Out of my element sounds about right.

Keep the ideas coming in, and to the guest who gave a suggestion, I think I know what you mean and I've started work on it. If it's what you wanted, great, if not, well I tried.

As always, leave those comments. Even now life's a bit busy - almost to busy - to write, but I fully admit that each review gives me more motivation to say screw it and keep on churning out words. So don't be shy!


	30. Short 17 - Nachtmahr

Nachtmahr

Rating: M [language, sexual violence (briefly)]

Summary: [Before the main story] I can still see his face

* * *

July, 2034

The whole room seemed to be made of sheets of blackened ice, the walls of her prison freezing and uncompromising. Ellie had pushed herself into the darkest corner of the room, feeling the strands of her hair stick and cling to the wall as she tried in vain to bury her head deep enough into her arms to make it all simply go away. The frigid air scoured her nose and throat raw with each breath, and she could have sworn she saw her soul leaking out in the vapor of her exhalations.

If fear caused miracles the helpless girl could have saved the whole world.

A foul odor mixed into the air, death mixing with the numbing chill to drip even more terror into her form. She could feel a figure standing before her, the shadow of a pair of boots just creeping into her vision as she curled her knees up tighter to her head. A clink sounded, sharp and petrifying, and she heard a blade being dragged over the frozen floor towards her, the sound echoing like a scalpel through fabric. The stench got worse, and she felt a sharp tap of steel against her leg. He was right in front of her now.

She wouldn't look up. She couldn't. She knew she would scream if she did, and she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. The tapping against her leg continued, and she shuddered at each light strike. There was so much malice, so much evil behind each pat. There was one more tap, and the figure dragged the blade up her thigh, pressing it under her jacket to let the icy metal sting the pale skin of her side. Within the small cocoon of her arms Ellie bit her lip, stifling the urge to howl in primal fear, failing to hold back a tear of desperation. The knife point seemed to drain the energy out of her, and she felt her limbs go heavy and leaden as the blade warmed against her skin.

Fingers crept into her hair, at once both caressing and possessive, the thumb teasing across her forehead as the other digits knotted themselves in her strands of red. She felt his sickly breath on the top of her head, and his voice leaked out with the rasping of his lungs.

"I knew you were different, Rabbit. You can run and run, but I'll always find you."

_Not him. Anyone but him. Please, please no. Not David._

Her head was slammed against the ice wall behind her, and she saw stars. His face loomed at her, vicious and calculating behind the swimming colors she tried to blink away. She was ripped up, her legs flailing as he dragged her to her feet by her hair, tearing it back so she was forced to look him in the face. Ellie grasped on to every last shred of defiance, and screwed her eyes shut. That only earned a malevolent chuckle from him, and she felt the blade trace up the side of her face, the very tip of it gliding across her eyelids. A weak moan of terror escaped her lips, and Ellie felt her body shut down at his assault on her mind.

"Remember girl, you're special. And now, I've learned just how special you really are."

David's tone was quiet and unhurried, the pleasure he was taking in her abject fear evident.

"Last time we…talked…I gave you two options – be mine…or be dead. But oh child, how I have learned. Today you don't get to chose. Today you get to be both."

The blade dropped down and traced up her leg again, this time sliding across her jeans and pressing up between her legs. Even through her pants the sense of violation was unimaginable. She felt her knees give way, and his grip on her hair tightened as he leaned in and pressed his chest against hers. Another tear rolled down her cheeks, and she gasped for breath as he was exhaling, filling her lungs with raw hatred. She retched, her stomach heaving, and he laughed again as she squirmed against him. His flesh felt like jagged obsidian, and she could feel millions of tiny cuts flay her skin through her clothes as he pressed harder against her frame.

"I won't scream…"

Ellie's voice was far weaker than she had hoped. There was no trace of defiance, only an empty pleading. A thin grin split the man's features, and he leant in to bite her collarbone, his words purring out between teeth that sunk into flesh.

"Good. Pets don't scream. They only say thank you."

She was turned around, the world blurring as he slammed her chest and cheek against the ice. She could feel the blade press between her legs again, and she couldn't hold back the almost violent shaking that possessed her limbs.

He dragged the wicked object up, and Ellie mewled as she felt her jacket and shirt being cut open, the blade slicing a thin line up her spine, bumping over each vertebrae. She knew he was marking her. Icy wind seemed to blast her exposed back, and her mind began to go dark as she succumbed to the unending tide of desperation. She felt his beard on the back of her neck, and his voice pierced through her mind.

"You have no idea of what I'm capable of."

She was spun around, her exposed back slammed against the wall, the frozen surface boiling into her like lava. Her eyes were forced open by thoughts that seemed not her own, and a shattering scream pierced her lips as she stared into David's eyes, framed by Joel's face.

Her arm shot out, a desperate attempt to make it all just go away.

"Ellie!"

Joel's voice was rising with each repetition of her name. The young girl was having a nightmare, and simply wouldn't wake up. Fear had begun to creep into the man's heart as he saw her begin to twitch and thrash in a physical backlash to whatever scene her mind was playing out. This wasn't right.

"Ellie!"

Her eyes shot open, and he never had time to see her fist fly towards his nose. It impacted with a crunch, the girl having put every bit of herself behind the swing, forcing him back and toppling him off the bed. The taste of blood filled his mouth, and he felt his beard clump together as crimson dripped into it.

He heard a screech from the bed, followed by a thud and moan of terror. The pain was the last of his concern. His nose could fall off for all he cared. Something was wrong with Ellie. He scrambled up, seeing her curl herself into a ball in the corner of the room, the blanket pulled over her like a turtle's shell. Pathetic sobs emanated from below the cover, and Joel half crawled, half threw himself around the bed, pulling the covers away to see his precious charge stare at him with eyes full of terror.

"Ellie it's me, it's Jo-"

Her screech interrupted him, the words jumbled and rushed as she fought for control of her emotions.

"Get the fuck away! Just get the fuck away from me!"

He slid himself back, his mind racing as he desperately searched for words to calm her down. The grizzled man quickly held his hands up, dropping his posture to look as unthreatening as possible. At the moment he was dealing with a cornered animal.

"It's me baby-girl. It's just…" he searched for comforting words to use. One burned bright in his mind, and so much of him ached to use it. But he couldn't, not till she was ready. "Just Joel. It's ok Ellie. It's all ok."

Her chest heaved, and he saw her clawing at herself, one arm raking up and down her thigh, the other twisted to bump along her back. Her lips were curled back, and she looked feral in the silvered moonlight. Her voice was high, filled with a mixture of adrenaline, fear, and hate.

"You looked like him…you looked like _him…_"

She was putting the burden of proof on Joel. His heart sunk as he realized the _him_ she was referring to.

"No…no no baby I'm not him. You know I'm not. It's just me Ellie."

He scooted a little closer to her, and she cringed and pressed harder into the corner. Joel saw her bite her lip, Ellie's eye's screwing shut as she still battled her emotions. He stopped just in front of her, and gently reached out with one of his calloused hands.

"It's just me. Trust me Ellie."

He circled his rough paw around one of her wrists, and gently pulled her hand to his face, letting her fingers scratch down his skin, bumping and curling into his beard. She seemed to shudder at the contact, and before he knew it she had thrown herself into him, her face buried in the crook of his neck, the tears already soaking into his collar.

He wrapped his arms around her, absorbing her shakes and shudders, gently shushing her at each sob or hiccup. He didn't know how long she cried, but it was long enough that eventually all she could do was wheeze and cough into his shoulder. He felt a shift, and saw her lift her head to look up at him. Her fingers gently pressed against the bloodied part of his beard, and he saw her twist and grab her blanket, dabbing at the dried blood.

"Joel…"

Her voice was so faint and distant. He swallowed hard, and she continued before he could reply.

"I'm so sorry Joel. I'm so fucking sorry for all this."

"It's ok baby-girl."

His voice was deep, and soothed her tattered soul. She looked down, shaking her head.

"But your nose…"

Apology dribbled from every letter.

"Was fucked up before you hit it."

He tried to wear a smile, for her. The silence roared in the room as she processed his statement.

The faintest flicker of a smirk ghosted over her lips, and he framed her face in his hands. Her eyes held exhaustion, and she stared back at him.

"It kinda was, wasn't it?"

Joel's heart leapt at her quip. His Ellie was still in there, somewhere. She was tough. But just as quickly as the smile had appeared, it vanished, and her eyes darkened as unwelcome thoughts bubbled up.

"I'm so broken Joel. How the hell am I going to trust anyone?"

Again, she was quietly pushing the burden of proof on Joel. He was more than happy to take it.

"You don't need to trust too many people baby. You've got me, you've got Tommy and Maria. You can make some new friends in time, you can…"

"Who'll ever want me though? I want to feel normal. I want friends. I want a boyfriend…maybe. I don't know. But who the fuck will want some damaged goods like me?"

He swallowed hard at her confession. But this wasn't the time for his over protectiveness to kick in. She needed answers. Real answers. Honest ones.

"You're looking at it all wrong Ellie. It ain't like that."

She looked up at him, a defeated smile spread across her face.

"Isn't like what? Isn't like I've seen just about every fucked up thing on this planet? Isn't like I almost got killed or…or…" she screwed her eyes shut, the smile growing wider in its desperate attempt to whisk away her pain. David's eyes burned in her mind. "For fuck's sake Joel, I'm broken…."

"You're a puzzle Ellie."

She shook her head, and looked up at him. His hands still rested against her cheeks.

"A what?"

She didn't know what answer or excuse he was intending to give her. But calling her a puzzle certainly wasn't on her go to list.

"A puzzle. You're lookin' at yourself like you're a broken mirror that can never be put back together. You're a puzzle, and all you gotta do," He shut his eyes, some small part of his mind frustrated that he was giving the girl he saw as a daughter potential dating advice. "Is find the piece that fits with you. You're not broken, you're not damaged beyond repair. Everyone is just a puzzle, no matter what they've gone through. Just got to find your piece baby-girl."

He saw her mind working, the shattered bits churning and trying to process his small bit of wisdom. Her lips mouthed 'puzzle' over and over, and he could see some color slide back into her eyes.

"What if no one matches up?"

He gave a dark chuckle. Now this is when his fatherly instincts could kick in.

"Then it's better to be half finished then try and slam a piece in that won't line up."

She let out a soft laugh, gently pulling away from his hands, unsteadily rising to her feet.

"Of course you'd say that."

The fear still ebbed through her soul, and the look in her eyes let Joel know she wouldn't be leaving his side for the rest of the night. That was fine by him. He never realized how much he had missed having a daughter to take care of.

* * *

**A/N:**

I always thought one of the strange quirks of the game was that the encounter with David seemed to have so little lasting impact on Ellie. Perhaps she just had bigger things to worry about in game. Either way, I'm quite happy with this short. Hope you all enjoyed, let me know what you think.


	31. Short 18 - Cat's out of the bag

**A/N:**

Well, here's the requested short of Joel finding out about Marcus and Ellie being together. I know a lot of people have a lot of opinions about how Joel should act, especially as a father figure to Ellie. In my opinion I got his reaction right, but of course it's just my opinion. Hopefully you enjoy the story. And credit for the idea goes to...guest. Whoever you are, thanks for the idea.

* * *

Cat's out of the bag

Rating: T [language]

Summary: [During the main plot] This isn't what it looks like

* * *

November 2034

Summer and fall had left them, and winter had rushed in, bringing stinging winds and low temperatures. Yes, Ellie reasoned, that was the reason she always needed to be cuddled up to Marcus. It was the cold. It wasn't the way her body seemed to mould itself to his when they spooned, it wasn't the way his kisses seemed both so gentle and so meaningful, it wasn't the way his smile curled up one side of his face when he saw that gleam in her eyes when their lips parted….it was just the cold.

_Right. Just the cold. And right about now I'm pretty sure if I had nuts, they would be frozen. Which means…_

She turned to her boyfriend, and the unsuspecting male quickly found the book he was reading to suddenly be across the room. It took him a second to process what had happened, his fingers curling into air instead of pages, and he turned towards Ellie, an accusation already spilling off his lips.

"Hey, what the fu-"

Her lips pressed against his, and she pushed him down to the couch, pawing at his jacket as she deepened the kiss. His eyes momentarily widened in surprise, before they reflexively closed. Her body settled against his, her legs wrapping around one of his. She sighed as she kissed him, feeling his arms encircle her body and pull her chest to his. The kiss was broken, and she practically purred as his hands rubbed up and down her back.

Ellie squirmed in his arms, sending a hand up to search the back of the couch, grabbing at nothing until her fingers trapped the corner of a blanket that was habitually kept there. She dragged it down over the both of them, shrugging out of her Jacket and rolling up the sleeve of her bitten arm. For a reason that still escaped her she liked it when he wrapped his hand around her scar as they kissed.

Marcus did just that, and a shiver worked its way down her spine. The couple shifted positions, the young man sitting up so Ellie straddled his lap as they kissed, the blanket pulled around their hips. She gently scratched her fingers up the back of his head, and he one arm around the small of her back, the other rubbing her bite mark. Everything seemed so still as they kissed. It felt like the moment would last forever…

"You both had _better_ be wearing pants under that blanket."

Ellie's eyes shot open mid kiss, not even breaking her lips away as her vision darted to the right, seeing Joel standing in the doorway. It wasn't until her eyes locked with his that panic gripped her, and she flailed off her boyfriend, sending the couch, and both teens, tumbling backwards. Ellie leapt from the wreckage of pillows, yanking her sleeve down as she stood and faced Joel.

"Okay, whatever you think it is it isn't, Joel."

The aging man crossed his arms, letting a breath hiss between his teeth as he sized up the scene.

"You're telling me it's not my Ellie on top of a boy? Ain't that a damn relief."

His voice was practically a growl, and Ellie privately chastised herself for getting caught.

_Stupid, stupid, fucking stupid._

"Friend, Joel…"

It was a risky play, but it was all she had. Maybe the truth would help?

"What?"

She caught a hint of surprise in his voice. _No going back now._

"Boy…friend. He's my boyfriend now. Uh, surprise?"

She spread her arms like it was a party and he was the guest of honor. The words seemed to impact her quasi-father, and his jaw clenched and unclenched as he took the news in.

_Okay, well I'm not dead yet. It's going better than I expected._

"And this little relationship has been a secret for how long?" Venom was dripping from each syllable.

She did the math in her head, counting the months off on her fingertips. After all the secrets came spilling out back at the river the two hadn't stayed single for very long. So August…September…October…

"About three months I guess."

"Three months of you two sneaking behind my back…"

Marcus stood up next to her, tossing the blanket away. It was his turn to play a risky hand.

"Three months of me trying to make her the happiest girl in the world, sir. Three months of trying to find every little stain on her soul and polish it out. Obviously I, well…" he motioned at her arm. "I know the big secret," Joel stiffened, expecting the boy to use it as some bargaining chip, "and it doesn't scare me. Hell, I'd face quite a few scary things for her. Including a man who looks like he's about to try and snap me in half…"

Joel's nostrils flared like a bull about to charge, but he stood up straight when he saw Ellie slowly move to hold Marcus's hand as her boyfriend spoke. His gaze was drawn to the two sets of fingers intertwined, and he couldn't help but notice the way the young man gently trailed his thumb over her knuckles up and down, comforting her even while staring down a very dangerous man. He tore his gaze from the fingers, and stared Ellie down. She stared back, her eyes resolute. There was only one thing he wanted more in life than getting to scare away any boy who came within a hundred yards of his little girl.

"He make you happy?"

The question surprised the girl, and she blinked, her jaw opening and closing several times as she tried to process the question. Her brain decided that simple was the way to go, and her answer was quiet and honest.

"Yeah…"

Joel's nostrils flared again, and the possessive part of his mind chastised the rest of him for what he was about to do. His eyes flickered over to Marcus, and he stared the teen down. Just like Ellie the boy stared back, his eyes unblinking and open.

"You listen up boy. You hurt her, or make her do something, anything she doesn't want and one of two things will happen – either she'll kick your ass, or I will. And if I find out she had to kick your ass for something, you best believe I'll go ahead and kick it again. We clear?"

The boy nodded.

"Crystal."

Joel let out a breath, the sound almost resembling a teapot boiling. He was tossing all his frustration into that exhalation.

"And that couch is still your bed. Don't get any funny ideas."

Joel finished speaking, and without another word brushed past the couple and up the stairs, the door to his room opening and closing with a thud. The two were left in silence, and both stood where they were for several minutes.

They turned to each other, both looking down at some unspoken urging, their eyes resting on their intertwined hands. Two sets of eyes travelled back up and locked gazes, and both teens broke out in relieved, tired grins.

* * *

**A/N:**

So that's how I think he'd react. If you think about it, he's not a mindless thug who would just beat up on anybody. Yeah he's protective of Ellie, but I just get the vibe that he values her happiness more than his comfort, and is willing to endure some shitty father situations for the sake of his new daughter. As for the abruptness of his decision, well he's the kind of guy to make snap decisions like that.

As always, let me know what you all think please! And keep those ideas coming. Oh, before I forget, if for any reason you leave a review and actually want a reply, just let me know! I'm not ignoring anyone who comments, and I honestly read and re-read each review. I just can't tell when a question is rhetorical or actually a question nine times out of ten. I'm actually quite talkative if you send me a pm or want a reply.

To the guest who suggested I write a short about Ellie finding out Joel is her real father, I don't think I can do that right now. For one, that breaks my head canon, so I would only be able to half-ass it. Two, a story like that would have to be a proper story, and a short isn't the right place to tell that tale. I hope you understand.


	32. Short 19 - The Chef

**A/N:**

Short one today. I'm trying to figure out a schedule that will let me post shorts while at the same time not press me to write faster than I can. So please bear with me if the updates seem sporadic. I'm hoping to put out one or two during the week, and hopefully two over the weekend. We shall see how that plays out, but keep tossing out ideas for me folks. Enjoy, and as always feedback is much appreciated.

* * *

Chef

Rating: T

Summary: [After the main story] Never let him in the kitchen.

* * *

August 2035

Joel walked back from the warehouse, nodding a greeting to his neighbors as they relaxed on the porch. He opened the door and walked in, leaving his dust-covered shoes by the door. Two other pairs told him both Ellie and Marcus were home. Probably up to no good, he thought. He walked down the small hallway, turning into the living room. Ellie walked out of the kitchen to greet him, a splotch of flour on her cheek. She leaned against the wall, a defeated light in her eyes. Joel looked past her, and saw footprints of flour and other ingredient trailing back to the kitchen.

"Ellie…you cooking something up baby-girl?"

She shook her head, her spirits seemingly crushed.

"All day…I have been trying to teach him how to cook all day. I said, 'hey, let's make some cookies or something.' I have never regretted something so much before." She pushed the palms of her hands wearily against her eyes, the flour smudging across her face. She continued, "First he wanted to make breakfast. Cool, fine. Till the eggs caught on fire. And he…he just giggled out 'flambé!' Okay, that's fine, everybody makes mistakes. Then he set the pancakes on fire too. Again, 'Flambé!' So fuck breakfast, right?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but she made a sharp cutting motion in the air.

"Lunch! What the hell can go wrong with a sandwich, right? Well that motherfucker wanted it toasted. A minute later, 'Flambé!' He…he's a goddamn pyromaniac, with his fucking giggle and his…his fucking…_ugh_! He can cook with a campfire, but the second you put him in front of a stove…"

The young girl threw her hands in the air, letting them fall down onto her head, leaving white streaks of flower in her auburn hair. Joel took a step towards her, before a crash sounded from the kitchen, and a single pan rolled into view. A giggle sounded from out of sight, and Ellie closed her eyes as she braced herself.

"Flambé!"

She dropped to her knees, staring up at her father with pleading eyes, her hands clasped together before her. The smell of something burning began to fill the room, and he looked down at his daughter. Her voice was quiet, and laced with defeat.

"Help. Me."


	33. Short 20 - Restless

**A/N:**

Alrighty, well I think I have a posting schedule that _might_ work. For now, at any rate. I'm hoping to post one up every Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun. I'd love to go back to one a day like I used to, but unless you want me disappearing for a few weeks I simply don't have the material for that rate.

And to address the comments for the last short, yeah, he would appear to be useless in the kitchen. I think the allure of fancy cooking methods overloads him and it's just like a kid in a sandbox at that point. I don't feel bad for Joel, knowing him he's only going to make the couple clean it up anyways. No sweat off his brow.

* * *

Restless

Rating: T

Summary: [After the main plot] It doesn't _have_ to lead to forking.

* * *

September 2035

The bed creaked at his every movement, each twitch and restless tick of the leg sending the rusted springs and ancient wood creaking and groaning. Marcus let out a hiss of a sigh, shifting his weight for the hundredth time as he tried to find a more comfortable position. Restlessness had struck him, and he felt powerless to fall asleep. It simply wasn't coming.

He let a quiet groan out, cursing his damn luck. Every so often he would be plagued like this, his mind far too wound up to allow the quiet vacation of slumber. Thoughts seemed to compete with each other for his attention, and a continual explosion of activity reverberated through his psyche. The boy had grown used to it, and never complained when it struck him as he lay on the couch. Then it actually helped to sift through the sands of his mind, and let the commotion settle naturally.

But this simply wasn't fair. It was so rare he got to spend an honest, full night with Ellie, and he knew he was being cheated out of some of the best sleep he could ever have. It simply wasn't fair.

As if to reinforce what he was missing Ellie shifted in her sleep, her legs bumping against his as she gently pushed herself even closer to him, thin fingers grasping at the soft sheets as she dreamed, slowly curling them up and over herself and away from him. Strands of her hair ghosted across his face, and his nose crinkled as he tried to keep the auburn mess from shooting up his nostrils. Damn girl had all the fun when they spooned. She, in her own words, felt like "a fucking turtle of comfort or something," and he was stuck with hair that shot at him like serpents, and an almost unholy heat radiating from her. Sometimes he was afraid the sheets would simply catch on fire.

_No, _he thought, _this is just you being a bitch about things. Get a damn grip man._

The restless teen inflated his cheeks, letting the air pop out again and again, wrestling with his consciousness in a vain attempt to calm it down. The bed groaned and squealed again, and he almost swore at it. He hadn't even moved that time and it was still complaining.

"Hey…what are you still doing awake?" A very tired voice suddenly whispered out beside him.

Ellie propped herself up on her forearms, blinking sleep out of her eyes and giving a deep yawn as he answered.

"Just can't sleep babe. You know how it is."

She rolled onto her side, bundling herself up in the covers as she peered at Marcus in the dark. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Despite the two being home alone she kept her voice at a barely audible level.

"You want to talk about it?"

He chuckled, feeling her reach under the covers to lay a hand across his heart. No one could accuse her of being insensitive to a troubled mind.

"Nah. Hell I just want to go to sleep. Just can't…"

His gaze shifted left, and he saw her green eyes studying him above the lip of the blankets. Even in the gloom they managed to sparkle. Or maybe he was simply seeing what he knew was there.

"Idea." Her voice was still soft and quiet.

He raised his eyebrows as she began to shift and wiggle under the sheets. He felt hands burry under him, trying to roll him onto his side.

"Ell…the fuck are you trying to do?" He was answered by a gentle slap on his arm, and her voice whispered out.

"Just go with it. Idea, remember?"

He groaned, and rolled onto his side, staring into the rest of the dark room, letting his gaze fall on the bronze door knob of her room. He half expected Joel to burst in at any moment, even though he was off at the dam again.

Rustling sounded from behind him, and with a whoosh the blanket was pulled off the bed. He heard a frantic series of thumps, and saw the corners of the blanket flipping in the air, before settling back down with a lazy fall. The blankets glided down onto him, enveloping his body, and he involuntarily shuddered as he realized she had flipped it over, putting the cold side facing them. And with the cold September night leaking through the windowpane, the blanket was almost frigid against his skin. _Bad time to only wear shorts._

He continued to shiver, until familiar warmth pressed against his back. Ellie molded herself to him, softly pressing her lips against the back of his neck and giving him a sleepy kiss. This was new. He was always the big spoon.

"So this is what it's like…" He heard his girlfriend muse. "You look ridiculously cute from back here."

He felt an arm snake over his chest, and she continued to press against him, situating her form to match up with his frame as best as possible. His body seemed to shut down on its own, and he smiled to himself as his mind screeched to a halt in the best way possible. Exhaustion seemed to flood his brain. She began to trace her fingers across his chest and stomach, each fingertip lulling him more and more to sleep.

"How's it on your end?" She whispered in his ear, her other hand gently scratching at his back. His scars almost always itched, and so she dragged her nails up and down his ruined skin, soothing it.

Sleep rushed in, and he could only smile again, words dripping off his tongue like bits of honey.

"Like a…fucking turtle of…something…"

She giggled to herself as his words slurred out, and she craned her neck to see his eyes firmly shut, feeling his breathing change and deepen. Yeah, he was out. Gone. Goodbye. Her boyfriend had left the building.

She nestled her head into his back, smiling to herself at a job well done. Truth be told she had been curious to be the big spoon for a while, but dammit if being the little spoon wasn't the best thing ever.

_Oh well, I suppose he deserves it. We can take turns or something. Knowing him, he's gonna want it again and again now. Give the boy an inch…he'll make you walk a mile just to get it back._

Ellie shrugged against him, and breathed his scent in. She closed her eyes, the world falling away as she floated off into a dream. The only thing she was aware of as she slipped away was the gentle breathing of her boyfriend.

* * *

**A/N:**

Hope you enjoyed! As always, every comment is appreciated. Look for the next update on Friday.


	34. Short 21 - Father Time

Father Time

Rating: T

Summary: [After the main plot] Frozen in time

* * *

December 2035

Flurries of snow gently fell to earth, and just like that time last year Jackson could have made for an idyllic postcard - the wooden houses coated a glimmering white, children seemingly frozen in time as they chased each other down the powdered street. The town was indeed beautiful, and its people happy and content.

None of that mattered to Joel, and a slight panic seemed to grip him as he turned his room upside-down. His mind raced quickly, the thoughts slight and rushed. _No, it can't be gone._ He pushed against his bed, the mental feet grating across the wooden floor as it was shoved across the room. The mattress was pulled off, and tossed against the far wall. Nothing – it wasn't there. He wheeled back to his nightstand, opening the small drawers in hopes that his treasured watch would simply reappear. But it was nowhere to be seen. The watch had been sitting on the dresser two nights ago – the night before he headed up to the dam like he tended to once a month. Now it was gone.

A shadow appeared in the doorway, and he looked over his shoulder to see Ellie standing in the threshold, he hands pressed against either side of the entrance as she surveyed the mess he had been making. He quickly stood up, turning to face her. Her eyes widened at the expression of loss that burned in his irises. Despite the bubbling soup of emotions that churned in him he forced his voice to remain even.

"Ellie…my watch is gone. You take it?"

Her eyes darted nervously from the nightstand to him, and she straightened up, her jaw clenching and unclenching as she searched for words.

"I…might have. But I can –"

He was in front of her in an instant, and she blinked at how quickly he had closed the gap. His voice was a shade rougher, but still he contained himself.

"You know you ain't supposed to touch that. It's fragile. The hell possessed you to _take_ it?"

Part of him wanted to say steal. But by the look of freight in the girls eyes she hadn't intended to get caught, which means she hadn't intended to keep it.

His mind searched and searched for why she might have taken it. Just because he didn't wear it anymore didn't mean he didn't _want_ it. That was the last trinket from the old world he had any attachment to. He didn't need it on his person anymore, but it was an anchor he wasn't ready to completely let go of yet.

The girl seemed to tremble before him. She took a step back, her words stammered and unsure.

"I, well I just wanted to look at it. You know, child-like curiosity and all…"

He relaxed a fraction, letting out a deep breath. It would have been easier to just ask him to see it.

"Okay…okay. Then give it back Ellie. You've seen it."

She bit her lip, eyes trailing down to the ground. Her voice was meek.

"I uh, can't. Right now. A friend has it. I'm gonna get it back tonight. You weren't supposed to know it was even gone…"

"A…friend. A friend has _my_ watch. Ellie…Ellie you know how important that is to me. And you what, traded it? Leant it out? What the fuck has gotten in to you?"

His voice began to rise, and she backed away more, biting her tongue and letting her view become well acquainted with the floor. He really wasn't supposed to know it was gone.

The grizzled man wrestled with his anger, his jaw clenched and teeth pushing together so hard his head began to pound. Of everyone he had expected to betray his trust, it wasn't her. He couldn't look at her, and as she pushed herself against the wall of the hallway he took a large step back, the door to his room slamming shut and blocking her view of him. She was left in the cool hallway, staring at the floor, blinking back tears of frustration. He really, really wasn't supposed to know it was gone.

* * *

_Later that day_

The room began to darken as the sun set, and Joel pushed his head back, feeling the cold of the wall edge through his hair to chill his scalp. He hadn't left his room, hadn't even moved, since he had slammed the door on his daughter. Thousands of angry thoughts swarmed his mind like wasps, and he bit his tongue for the umpteenth time, locking down the urge to growl in frustration. He knew Sarah would only chide him for getting so angry.

He had heard Ellie choke back a sob hours earlier, before her footsteps had quietly trailed down the stairs and out the front door. The girl was tough, but did not weather his disappointment well. He was one of the only people who could hurt her like that, and she was one of the only people who could hurt him. And out of all the ways she could have chose to hurt him, this one seemed to cut the deepest.

He lifted his gaze, his eyes fixated on the two pictures of his daughters. His mind continued to whirl, and he stared long and hard at the two faces, both pairs of eyes full of life.

A sharp knock at his door brought him back to reality, and he stood up, hearing the door to Ellie's room close as he opened his. There was no one there, and he let his gaze fall to a piece of folded paper on the ground. He picked it up, and feeling the unusual heft slid a hand under it as he stepped back inside and closed the door. Something was in it.

Joel slid back down the wall, angling the folded up page to read what was scrawled on the surface. It was certainly Ellie's handwriting. The letters were neat, as always, each line carefully measured out. The message was short and simple.

Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I only wanted to help. Don't hate me. Please.

The please was scribbled and misshapen, and he ran his finger over the word, the messiness unusual for anything Ellie wrote. His finger came away moist, and his heart sunk a little further as he realized why.

He opened the paper, and shook his head as he saw his watch sitting in it. It was pulled out, and the cool metal quickly began to warm to his touch, the surface of the links as worn as always. A long breath seemed to hiss out, his anger and frustration slowly bubbling away as he turned the watch over in his hand. Joel's eyes screwed shut, and he pushed his head back against the wall, hoping the silence of the room would further calm him down. It was only then that he realized it wasn't silent. A soft clicking noise seemed to echo through the room, an unfamiliar mechanical precision dancing in his eardrums. He looked down. The watch was…working?

He froze, holding his breath as he heard the soft ticks, each one striking as the seconds counted away. Had she really…

His eyes opened, and the watch was lifted into view. The body was still scuffed and worn, but inside the face of the watch small hands ticked away, the second hand bouncing closer and closer to the twelve with each tick. It passed the mark, and with another click he saw the minute hand slide up a notch, settling into place as the second hand continued its journey.

Without a pause he stood up, setting the watch on his dresser, and walked out of his room towards Ellie's. The door was unlocked, and he pushed it open, walking into the gloom. She had drawn her curtains tight, blocking out as much of the light as she could. He made out a lumped form on the bed, her figure slowly coming into view as his eyes adjusted. Her head was buried in the pillow, and she shook softly in the chill. He sat next to her, the springs crunching down, and gently laid a hand on her back. Her voice was muffled through the pillow.

"I only wanted to surprise you."

Joel let out a deep sigh, rubbing her back as he spoke.

"I know baby girl. I know."

"I didn't mean to upset you like that."

Again, his voice was hushed.

"I know. It's okay."

"I'm sorry."

Joel couldn't help but shake his head. She was seventeen, but crumbled like an eight year old when the right people hurt her.

"I'd never hate you Ellie. You know that."

She shook her head, keeping her face buried in the pillow.

"It's just…I've never seen you that mad at me. I know how important that watch is. That's why I wanted to give you more of a reason to hang on to it. You said you stopped wearing it because she was in your head, and a broken watch wasn't doing anyone any good. So I got it fixed so you could wear it…"

"Well I sure as hell ain't going to wear it now."

That got the young girl to jerk her head up, staring at him in the darkness with wide eyes, her voice dying in her throat when she saw him smiling at her. She only managed to choke out a few words.

"Wha…why not?"

"You got it working again. You think I'm going to risk breaking it? Ellie that watch ain't just a present from Sarah anymore. Now it's from both of you. I wouldn't risk it for the world."

Without a word she shifted on the bed, scooting her form closer to Joel, her unspoken request obvious. Joel let out a single laugh, all the tension draining with the short bark, before gently moving her head from the pillow to his lap, closing his eyes and letting a quiet song trail off his lips. His baby girl curled up to his leg, and the notes of the song faltered as he laughed while he sang. He didn't know when she fell asleep. He didn't even know when he fell asleep.

Across the hall the watch rested on a nightstand, nestled between two pictures of two smiling girls. The hands of the watch continued to tick away, second after second, minute after minute, hour after hour.

* * *

**A/N:**

Well, I figured that would be a nice way to wrap up the little watch theme I've had going on in a few other shorts, plus I'm a damn sucker for father/daughter moments like that.


	35. Short 22 - Dream Job

**A/N:**

Leave it to an author to let everyone know a posting schedule and then proceed to break that schedule the day after. Real smooth, right? Well, blame it on the fact that I hardly know what day it is anymore. Ah, college.

* * *

Dream Job

Rating: T

Summary: [After the main plot] If you could be anything you wanted to be…

* * *

November 2035

The table seemed comfortably crowded with the three of them around it. Marcus and Ellie sat clumped together, and Joel reclined in his chair, anywhere he sat the de facto "head of the table." It was dinner time, and a hearty meal of venison and soup sat between them. The day's work had been tiring, Ellie and Joel shifting boxes around all day as they took a complete inventory, and Marcus out hunting with a few other men. Coupled with the chill breeze that seemed to constantly sweep through the land, and they were sufficiently tired. Joel drummed his knuckles against the table, leaning back just a bit more, stretching his sore muscles. He really was feeling his age.

"So, if you two could be anything you wanted to be, what would it be?"

He knew he had already asked Ellie this question before, but after everything maybe her answer had changed. The two teens looked at each other, an unspoken conversation taking place in front of him. It was always interesting when they did that. They looked back at him, and Ellie spoke first.

"Yep…still want to be an astronaut. Hasn't changed. Space is cool and shit." She shrugged her shoulders as she spoke, and spooned a mouthful of soup up to her lips.

Joel's gaze shifted to Marcus, and the boy licked his lips before speaking.

"I'd want to be a doctor or…just someone who helps out. You know, saving people, healing people, just anything that isn't hurting anyone that doesn't deserve it. Although space is pretty cool. I could definitely be an astronaut and not complain."

The two shared another glance, and Ellie held up her hand. The high-five echoed around the room, and she let out a laugh, spooning more food up to her mouth. Joel shook his head, a grin tugging into his beard.

"Looks like we've got a couple of Kirk's and McCoy's here."

A quizzical look appeared in Ellie's eyes, and she leaned forwards, her elbows resting on the table.

"Who're they?"

Joel laughed, a rare, gravely noise, and leaned in to meet her. Not many people would have pinned him as someone into those old shows. But there had been nothing else on TV when he skipped school. It had grown on him.

"Have I got some stories to tell you. Hell, maybe Tommy even has some episodes laying around somewhere."

The two gave him their attention, their interest peaked, and Joel launched into story upon story, engrossing the couple in tales of heroism and adventure. They listened for as long as he would talk, and then moved into the living room to cuddle up on the couch and think up their own adventures. From inside the kitchen Joel heard the sound of Ellie's spaceship whistle, followed by giggling and hushed talking. His smile reappeared, and he cracked his knuckles, stretching his legs out as he listened to the sounds of his "family." There was no use denying it anymore. That's what they were.


	36. Short 23 - GOTY

**A/N:**

Seems like for some reason Monday's update never stuck. Don't know why, I hit submit and it seemed to work. Oh well, that's the internet for you. Here's the update, let's hope it works.

* * *

GOTY

Rating: T

Summary: [after the main story] Those production values, man

* * *

January, 2036

"And now I'm bored."

Ellie flopped back on the couch, throwing the last dart at the dartboard, the missile slamming into quite possibly the opposite spot of where she had wanted it to go. A person could only play so many games of darts or pool before it got old. The rest of the recreation center seemed to be deserted, and the quiet was oddly frustrating for that place. A sigh escaped the idle girl, the exhalation directed at a rebellious lock of hair that refused to leave her eyes in peace. She looked at the other figure on the couch, the face of her boyfriend obscured by a twenty year old magazine that had previously been his reading material.

The stillness of the center seemed almost overwhelming. Jackson's population was either working or spending family time together, and the two teens had decided to steal away from the hustle and bustle and spend the morning in a vain search for something fun to do. The winter had quickly begun to deepen, and a heavy snowfall had prevented any aimless wandering past the gate. Top it off with Joel's business at the warehouse keeping him occupied and the old man was unable to entertain the youths. So they had drifted into the old bowling-turned-recreation center to try and waste away the hours. That had quickly devolved into Ellie throwing pointy things at the wall, and Marcus flipping through old magazines in search of something interesting to read. Two hours later she was still throwing things at the wall, and her boyfriend was dead to the world, and slightly snoring. A wry thought popped into Ellie's head. _Someone somewhere is probably dying. And I'm just sitting here, bored as shit. Oh how the world works._

She turned to her boyfriend, and a sharp smack on his boot brought him back to the land of the living. The magazine slid off him, falling to the floor with a padded thwack. He blinked in the light, his eyes darting about the room as sleep abruptly left him. His eyes settled on her, and with a stretch and yawn the teen sat up, stretching his neck, the soft pops of vertebrae audible.

"So, read anything interesting?"

Ellie's voice was full of dry wit, the question entirely rhetorical. He cleared his throat and stretched again, her sarcasm either lost on him or simply a challenge to be as matter-of-fact as possible.

"Yeah. Apparently right before the outbreak there was some chick who liked to ride wrecking balls naked or something. They were surprised when they found a sextape of her, whatever that is, and even more surprised when they found her coked up and detoxing in jail."

He picked up the magazine, flipping it open and turning it so Ellie could see the picture. Risqué pictures filled the page, small columns of text winding down the sides of the pages. The images were clearly the main attraction. That got an eyebrow raise out of the girl.

"Is…is she licking a fucking sledgehammer?"

Marcus shrugged before tossing the magazine on the nearby table. She could only shake her head as he stood up to stretch. _People back then were weird._

The door to the rec-center banged open, and both teens craned their necks to see Tommy walking inside, quickly turning and pressing the door shut against the strong wind. With a thud he pushed the door into place, sealing in the heated air and brushing a few flakes of snow off his shoulders. His face was pale and pinched from the outside temperatures, and as he walked towards them his hands began to rub together, his mind slowly uncoiling from the numbing cold.

"Thought I'd find y'all in here. Joel asked me to check up on you. I'd ask if you were having fun, but that looks like a resounding no."

His voice held a slight shiver, and he sat down next to Ellie, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her cheek against his chest. The jacket was frigid, and she instinctively giggled against the cold, squirming and pulling away. Some part of her mind found it strange how quickly Joel's brother had come to accept her as a niece. This whole family thing still threw her for a loop on occasion.

She wiggled free of his grasp, hopping off the couch and rubbing her cheek viciously to get the warmth back.

"A resounding hell fucking no. It's boring as shit Tommy. Seriously, you've got to have something cool here. It's either that or break out the booze, man."

Ellie removed her hand from her face, pressing her tongue against the inside of her cheek, letting the bump it formed trace about the skin of her cheek in search of any still cold areas. Her gaze fell on the older man, bright-eyed and begging for something new to do. Her surrogate uncle could only shake his head and laugh, standing up and motioning for the couple to follow. They fell into step behind him, and he walked towards the maintenance area, leading them deeper into the building than most bothered to journey, taking a sharp turn down a hallway and coming to stop in front of a small room. He talked as they walked.

"All right, all right. I'll take pity on the both of you. This here's a little secret. I didn't want to use it before, but the dam's been running well enough these past weeks that I don't see the harm in plugging it in for a bit. Don't tell anyone else though. Got it?"

"Got it."

Both teens nodded their assent, Ellie speaking for the two of them. Satisfied, Tommy opened the door, leading them into a small, plain room. To the young woman it was a glorified supply closet, metal racks lining the walls, brooms and mops piled in the corner, and a dusty desk with several rolling chairs pushed against it.

"Chairs? Mops? Fuck Tommy, I can't handle this level of fun."

That only earned a chuckle from the man, who was by now well adjusted to the girl's razor tongue. He walked towards a corner of the room, pulling a sheet off an object, the cover slipping away to reveal an old, battered television. Ellie blinked at the object. Movies were nothing new.

"Hate to burst your bubble but we already watch movies at your house."

He bent down as she spoke, examining an object resting under the TV.

"It ain't the TV that's special. It's this."

He shifted slightly, revealing a rectangular object, a thin coating of dust resting against its seemingly glossy finish. The man patted it tenderly, a cloud of grey wafting up where his hand hit.

"I never was much into these things, life was always busy, but I'm betting a little escapism will do you some good."

He bent back towards the box, rummaging around and plugging in cables as the teens stood back and watched. With a grunt of satisfaction he pushed away, powering on the TV and the black object. Both whirred to life, and Tommy stepped back, handing Ellie a strange object.

"That's the controller. You use it to control whatever game is in that thing."

The TV flickered, the screen going black before jumping to life, a loading screen etching itself across the glass.

He glanced down at his watch, his brow furrowing as the long list of things to do scrolled through his mind. He was needed elsewhere.

"Alright, you two can take it from here. You're both smart, just figure it out. And remember, don't tell anyone. I only found one of these things, last thing I need is a bunch of nostalgic townsfolk clamoring to play."

With that he turned on his heel and walked out, shutting the door with a soft clang. Boy and girl were left in flickering darkness, and Marcus was the first to pull out a chair and sit down, his attention focused on the TV. Ellie followed suit, and they silently watched the loading bar fill up and up. It reached a hundred, and they held their breath as the screen went dark again, the machine clicking and whirring as it did god-knows-what.

It lit back up, a title and opening credits being displayed against a forlorn background of a tattered city.

_The first of them, a Good Kitty production_

Marcus let out a whistle as the credits rolled, studying the shifting background intently. Ellie remained quiet, her eyes taking in everything on the screen. She was mesmerized already, and the "game" hadn't even started. A flashing x appeared at the bottom, with the prompt "push to start new game." She stared at it, wondering what it meant, before glancing down at the controller in her hands, seeing a button neatly labeled "x." With a quick tap of the button the scenery changed, and both teens leaned towards the screen as a new world unfurled itself before them.

* * *

12 hours later

"…No."

The character whispered on-screen, before turning away and running into the rubble of a ruined city. A steady rhythm of drums beat faster and faster as the character ran, its outline blurring as it put distance between itself and the camera. With a final slam of percussion the figure disappeared, and the screen was drenched in black as the credits began to lazily float upwards.

Ellie blinked, for the first time in what felt like hours, and turned to her boyfriend, seeing him loosely holding the controller, his mouth agape at the conclusion. With a deliberate motion he set the controller down, leaning back into his chair and resting his hands on top of his head. His boot began a quick tap against the floor, his mind obviously churning as it processed the end. He turned to her, his mouth still not fully closed.

"That was…" His voice was a whisper.

"Fucking intense." She finished for him.

He could only nod, and they both stood up, turning off the machine and TV reverently, before lowering their eyes and walking out of the room. Darkness filled the rec-center, and they proceeded towards the exit, trailing through long shadows. With a tug the door opened, and both shivered at the biting wind that quickly attacked them.

The dash to Joel's house was quick, and neither said a word on the trek, their minds still analyzing the conclusion to the digital epic they had just finished. The front door was opened and shut, wet boots tossed by the threshold, and both teens found themselves pressed together and blanketed on the couch, Marcus's arms wrapped tightly around her stomach.

"They just seemed so real."

Ellie was the first to break the silence, resting against his chest as her mind unwound. It almost felt like part of her heart had been left in that room, or more likely in that game. His chest seemed to rumble as he replied.

"I thought that sort of thing only worked in books. But, yeah, they felt…alive? I don't know, just the way they acted. It was like every flicker of movement _meant_ something."

She snuggled closer against him, nodding as he spoke.

"Yeah, and I knew those other two guys were fucked. They weren't on the box of the game."

"Wait, what? What box?"

She turned to him, shrugging as she explained.

"The box I found after you went to go take a leak."

"Why the hell didn't you show me the box?"

"Well fuck, all you wanted to do was get back to it. Far be it for me to hold you up."

She heard him click his tongue against the bottom of his mouth, and silence flickered in. The gentle creaking of the house seemed to lull her into a trance, the heaving of her boyfriend's chest rocking her like a boat upon a gentle ocean, and she let her mind continue to unfurl. A thought sparked in her mind, and her voice gave sound to it before she knew what she was saying.

"I wonder what the game of my life would be like."

"I don't know Ell. Probably be pretty awesome I guess."

She snorted, shaking her head as she looked out the window.

"Doubt it. What kind of fucked up voyeuristic son-of-a-bitch would want to see the shit I've been through? Where's the fun in seeing friends die? Or in a thousand desperate escapes? Or…fuck, or _him._ That cannibalistic monster. Seriously, how could that be _fun_?"

"Well maybe their definition of fun is different than yours."

His voice was becoming quieter, and she could tell he was exhausted after the marathon gaming session.

"If that's their definition of fun then they're going to be the ones who cause the end of the world."

"Well hey, maybe you're in a game right now, and you don't even know it."

He was definitely exhausted. He just wasn't making sense anymore. She turned to look at him, seeing his eyes half closed and fighting to stay open. She let out a quiet noise, a strange gurgling in the back of her throat. It took a ridiculous idea to get her to make that sound.

"Yeah, and next thing you know this was all set up for someone else's enjoyment. Our misery's nothing but their entertainment. Now that's a special kind of masochism. Think about it, if I'm in a game that means all the stuff that happened to me will happen over and over, all for someone else's satisfaction. I'll have to almost die a billion times, hell that game had a continue button, so maybe I _will_ die over and over. No free choice, man. That's just scary. I don't want that."

His breathing had deepened, and he only managed to let a few words slip out.

"Well I wouldn't worry about it. I think we'd know if this was all a game or something."

She leaned back against him, feeling him relax as he fell asleep. It took several minutes of thoughtful tongue chewing for her mind to reach a conclusion. No, they couldn't be in a game. This was her life, no one else's. Besides, if anything, she'd rather be in a story.

* * *

**A/N:**

In other news, my life got _super_ busy again. That might (probably will) end up making me toss out my schedule and just post when I can. It sucks, but I'm spending on average 17-18 hours a day on school related stuff, and simply don't have the time to write. I know for a fact that life will slow down eventually, but until then I've got to do what I've got to do.


End file.
